Light Breaks, Sun Shines
by aspire2write
Summary: Three years ago, Bella was taken and disappeared without a trace. The world thought she'd been lost forever, but Edward found her. She feared returning to a world that had moved on without her, but Edward vowed to be by her side. He would help her learn about life and maybe one day, in the future, about love. Sequel to Do Not Go Gentle
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The sound of the clock ticking from the wall echoed in my head. Sophia, my VP hadn't looked up from her binder in the last thirty minutes, and Kenzi, my CFO, was furiously crunching numbers on the opposite side of the table. Both looked exhausted though. This meeting was dragging on much longer than I'd anticipated. The marketing and graphics departments were proposing three new media campaigns to launch when the acquisition of the new talent mangement company was complete. Sandy Hennessey, my assistant, had allotted the team members three hours in my schedule to be on the safe side, but as I checked my watch, I saw that we were quickly approaching the four-hour mark. The teams were not wasting any time. Their proposals were thorough and extensively planned. I appreciated their dedication and commitment to the work, but I just hadn't realized how long this would actually take.

Normally I wouldn't be bothered by the late night. My company was everything to me, and this had been the norm for me from the beginning. With the help of my aunt and uncle, I'd started the business out of their guest house. I worked tirelessly, by myself, for months and months without taking much of a break. Aunt Esme worried over me, but Uncle Carlisle told her to leave me be. I'd been a rather private person since my parent's deaths which led to much of my time being spent alone. Combine than with a rather active and curious mind, I'd spent long periods of time working on one project or another. Carlisle had often checked in on me, so he knew I could handle the solitude. He had a feeling this new venture was going to work out.

He was right. Within two years of beginning to pursue my dream, my company employed a little over 50 people, and I was comfortable enough to purchase a condo near the office. Within five years after that, the company had tripled in size and I had purchased a home on Bainbridge Island. That took dedication though, so it wasn't unusual for me to be at the office until 9:00pm most nights. If I wanted the business to be successful, I needed to put in the work.

However, things were different now. It was 7:00pm and I'd made plans to have dinner with Alice, Jasper, and Bella at 7:30pm at the Mercer Island Country Club. If I left now, I wouldn't have to worry about being late. The club was a ten-minute drive from the office, but I wanted to be there early. Bella was always early to things, and she was walking to the club alone tonight. I didn't want her to have to be there by herself after that milestone.

It'd been nearly six months since we'd returned to the states and she didn't go anywhere without someone in tow. I'd found Bella in Germany dancing in a strip club. When I first laid eyes on her, I thought she was just a dancer, a beautiful dancer, but just some girl dancing for money. I couldn't have been more wrong. Eventually, I discovered that Bella had been taken captive in Portland, Oregon, three years prior. I'd quickly involved my aunt and uncle since they worked on a Human Trafficking Task Force for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It took seven months of planning and honestly, prayer, but finally, we were able to bring her home.

Bella had a lingering fear that the organization that took her would find her and steal her back. Therefore, she tended to stick with a familiar person at all times. Earlier today, she told me she was planning to walk to the restaurant tonight. It was a 20-minute walk from where she was staying. Mercer Island was a safe community with little traffic. It wasn't a tourist attraction like Seattle so it'd be safe for her to walk, but I knew this was more about her state of mind. She craved to feel comfortable out in the world.

"I'm sorry to cut you short, sir, but Mr. Masen has another appointment that he can't be late for," Sandy said kindly but with authority as she stood and walked toward the front of the conference room. "We'll reschedule a time next week for you to complete your presentation, and Mr. Masen will have follow-up questions for these two campaigns you presented. Contact me tomorrow to schedule a time." I stood and moved to thank the men and women for their hard work. They had done a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time, and it was impressive. I liked both campaigns they presented but would need additional information before making a decision. "Mr. Masen, please come with me."

"Thank you again, guys," I said as I followed her out of the room and toward my office.

"There's a clean jacket on the back of your door. You should change before you leave. I've called for the car, and Phillip will be downstairs when you get there. There should be a bouquet of pink alstroemerias and a bouquet of yellow roses in the backseat."

"Two? Roses for Bella and alstro-"

"Absolutely not." I opened the door to my office, and she followed me inside. I shed the jacket I was wearing and pulled the other from the hanger. "The roses are for Alice and alstroemerias for Bella. Now, I called ahead and reserved the Wyndom Room for dinner. I figured you would want as much privacy as possible.

"Micro-presentations from this meeting have been loaded onto your computer and printed samples are in your briefcase." When I stopped to listen, she rushed me out the door but was hot on my heels. "Keep it moving. Keep it moving. Now, Mark mentioned that they're having some issues with color saturation, so we'll have corrected samples to you as soon as they're back from the printers.

"You have a 9:00am meeting with Budget on Monday morning to review the projected impact of the acquisition and a lunch with John Madden at noon." She hadn't looked up from her tablet since we left the conference room. "Your Tuesday currently looks clear then you'll be in meetings most of the rest of the week. I'll most likely schedule the remaining campaign pitch and follow-up for Thursday, so you have just under a week to review and prepare." The elevator arrived and I stepped in. Before the door closed, I leaned forward to catch Sandy's attention.

"Go home," I said. She smiled and rolled her eyes. "I don't deserve you, Sandy." A small blush rose on her cheeks. "Go home. It's Friday night; I'm sure Kevin would love to see you. It's been a week of late nights." She nodded.

"I just have a few things to-"

"Go. Home." She let out a breath and eventually nodded laying her things down on her desk. I held the elevator until she gathered her belongings and stepped inside with me. "Any plans for the weekend?"

"Kevin wants to take the kids to see his parents. We're going to fly out tomorrow morning. He took next week off so he could stay a few extra days. I'll head back late Sunday, and they'll be back on Tuesday."

"Why don't you take Monday and Tuesday off and make it a long weekend? You're been working so much lately, and you hardly take any time off."

"Oh, I couldn't. Someone's got to keep you in line and on schedule." I laughed.

"I think I can handle myself for a few days. You even said Monday was light and Tuesday was open. Take the time and enjoy yourself." I opened the car door and looked back at her. "I mean it. You work too hard. I'm going to pay the difference for changing your flight plans. Give me a copy of the bill when you get back." She smiled at me knowing better than to argue.

"Thank you, Mr. Masen. I'll see you on Wednesday."

I waited until I saw her get in her car before sliding into mine. Once the door was closed, the driver pulled away from the curb. The flowers sat beside me enfolded in plastic wrap and tissue paper. They were beautiful. I had a feeling Bella would like them seeing as pink was one of her favorite colors. I just shook my head as I smiled. I don't know how, but Sandy knew everything.

The drive to the club was short. It was 7:25pm when the car came to a stop. I had hoped to be here earlier, but it just hadn't worked out. Someone opened my door, and I thanked him before hurrying up the stairs to the entrance. When I stepped inside, I quickly found her on the far side of the lobby. She stood with her back to the wall scanning her surroundings.

She looked so beautiful. The royal blue dress was stunning against her pale skin, and the heels she wore made her legs look a mile long. I thought she was beautiful the first moment I laid eyes on her, but over the last five months she'd changed. She'd been working out, taking self-defense lessons, and the weight she'd gained from finally being fed properly had toned her arms and legs and given her curves in just the right places. As I was enjoying the sight of her, she looked up, her eyes meeting mine. A wide smile spread across her face causing my own to stretch my cheeks.

* * *

**AN 03/30/2019: It's finally here! Sorry it took so long. This turned out to be harder for me to write than I expected. Then when I was more than halfway done, I had it take a turn I didn't expect and had to go REWRITE about 8 chapters. Man has this been a process. **

**For the first installment of this journey, you saw events from Bella's point of view. This time around, you're going to hear from Edward. That means, if I did my job right, you're going to be seeing things from a more upbeat and hopeful perspective. As always, I absolutely love hearing from you. Tell me your thoughts. Ask me your questions. Give me your theories. (And join me on Facebook - Lena Kay - to see inspiration pictures. I don't have them for every chapter, but I'll add them when I have them.) **

**This story is named after the Dylan Thomas poem, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines". It's about hope and faith, something I think you'll see in the continuation of Bella's story. **

**I'm actually not done with this story. I have 3-4 chapters left, so I figured I'm close enough to feel comfortable posting. I'm not sure what my posting schedule will be yet. I'll get back to you as soon as I know. It will be at least once a week, but I anticipate more. Things are kind of crazy/rough at work right now, so I've got to see how things go. **


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_She looked so beautiful. The royal blue dress was stunning against her pale skin, and the heels she wore made her legs look a mile long. I thought she was beautiful the first moment I laid eyes on her, but over the last five months she'd changed. She'd been working out, taking self-defense lessons, and the weight she'd gained from finally being fed properly had toned her arms and legs and given her curves in just the right places. As I was enjoying the sight of her, she looked up, her eyes meeting mine. A wide smile spread across her face causing my own to stretch my cheeks._

* * *

I shook myself out of my stupor and made my way towards her. She looked slightly nervous when I came inside, her eyes darting back and forth as people passed by. The Country Club was rather exclusive, so there weren't a large number of people here. But everyone was dressed to the nines, and I understood her apprehension. Most of the men she was forced to interact with while captive looked just like the ones walking around the clubhouse – polished, distinguished, _normal_. I'm sure this was rather unnerving for her.

Once she noticed me, I saw her shoulders relax slightly which pleased me. I wanted her to be comfortable. When I reached where she stood, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her cheek breathing in her sweet, subtle scent. When she wrapped her arms around my waist, I ensconced her in my own. With the heels on, she fit perfectly against me. I pulled back and held out the flowers for her to take.

"Edward, they're lovely," she said as she lifted them to her nose. Her eyes slid closed as she took a deep breath. Her features smoothed, the crease between her brows disappearing as she appeared so serene, a rare occurrence for her. It was a beautiful sight.

"You are lovely," I told her as I looked her over once more. She bit her lip and looked down. The dress was very flattering. "We have reservations, so why don't we go have a seat. I'll text Jasper where we are. They should arrive soon though."

She nodded and wrapped her hand around my upper arm. I led her toward the dining room and stopped at the maître d' stand. He smiled and greeted me by name offering to lead me to the table. I frequently brought business lunches here due to its close proximity to the office as well as its privacy and excellent food. The Wyndom Room was situated to the side, separated from the main dining room. The windows overlooked the golf course which was lit up at night offering a beautiful backdrop for our evening. Bella walked to the window and looked over the grounds.

"May I bring you something to drink?" the maître d' asked.

"We have two other guests joining us soon, my cousin Jasper Cullen and his wife Alice. Could you show them in once they've arrived?"

"Of course, sir."

"Drinks." I looked over to Bella who was still staring out the windows. "Bella, what would you like to drink?" She turned toward me as if I'd startled her out of thought.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I must have zoned out. What were you saying?"

"He asked what we'd like a drink." She turned to the maître d' and smiled.

"What's your name?" She walked forward.

"I'm Nathaniel, ma'am," he said, the look on his face showing his surprise before he pulled himself together.

"I'm Bella." She held her hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nathaniel." He shook her hand with an affectionate smile. Pride swelled in my as I watched her initiate contact with him. That was new, a big step for her.

"The pleasure is mine, ma'am. May I bring you something to drink?"

"May I have a decaf coffee, black no sugar?"

"Of course. Sir?"

"Water to begin. Do you have a bottle of Petrus Pomerol 1998?" Bella moved to the seat beside me, and I pulled the chair out for her. She thanked me as she took her seat.

"I believe we do, sir. Would you like it now or with the meal?"

"Meal, please." He nodded.

"Ma'am. May I take your flowers and put them in water until you depart?"

"Thank you." She handed them over, and I asked that he'd do the same for Alice's. He took them and left the room. I took my own seat and turned to Bella resting an arm on the back of her chair. "How was it?" She took a deep breath, not needing me to elaborate.

"It was okay." Her tone implied she was surprised. "The island is beautiful, and the houses are something else. There wasn't too much traffic but enough to make me not feel like I was in the middle of nowhere." I took her hand in mine.

"That's not what I was asking about. How was it for you? How did you feel?" She looked over and smiled sadly.

"I could really use a hit right now." My heart dropped. "I'm not going to do it; I'm just feeling overwhelmed." While Bella was under control of those men, they forced her to take drugs. By getting her, and the other girls, addicted, it gave them another measure of control. Bella is not the kind of person that would ever do it on her own, but she'd been given no choice. While she did not want to try them or become addicted, she did. Now she had to learn to live as a recovering addict. She'd been clean since she came home, but it didn't mean it was easy.

"What can I do?" I would do whatever I could to help her.

"Nothing. Well, nothing more than what you're doing. Thank you for caring. That helps." She took a deep breath and shook her head as if to clear it. I hated those men that took her with a passion. They did this to her. She didn't ask for it. She would struggle with this addiction for the rest of her life all because of those – "It was better than I expected," she interrupted my train of thought. "It was scary, don't get me wrong. It was kind of liberating though. Maybe I _can_ live in this world." I squeezed her hand.

"I know you can. I have every faith in you. You're strong and smart and can do anything you put your mind to. You're a force to be reckoned with, Bella Swan."

When she giggled, it lit up her face, and I had to fight to heed my aunt and uncle's advice to take this slow and be patient. I struggled to resist the urge to lean forward and press my lips to hers. I couldn't deny I'd been attracted to Bella since I met her, but these past few months had been eye-opening. She was beautiful, but more than that, she was also intelligent, sweet, kind, caring, and a spit-fire when she got riled up.

"Oh, by the way," she exclaimed, "Sophia brought Sandy the preliminary file on Jameson Wildes." Sophia Vanderfeld was the VP of Client Relations at MC Inc. One day, I saw her come upstairs which caught my attention, because I didn't have an appointment scheduled with her. She sat down with Sandy and Bella moved to observe. It was the first time I saw it, but it definitely wasn't the last. Sophia came to Sandy often. "I've had a chance to look him over, and I think you need to be cautious about moving forward."

"How come?" Nathaniel came in with our drinks and left us quickly.

"There are some holes in her research so far, so take this with a grain of salt. My assessment may not be 100% accurate, since I don't have all the facts." Her comment was meant to be favorable for Sophia, but what concerned me was the fact that she thought there were holes in the research. "His financials are fairly unstable, but I don't think it's due to mismanagement. I think the business is the issue."

"Interesting."

"I would just feel more comfortable if you took a closer look."

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Bella understood people and business better than some of the executives in my company. She'd been to my office one day a few months back for an outing. I'd introduced her to Sandy to whom she immediately took a liking. The next week she asked if she could come in a few times a week to shadow Sandy, to learn from her. I agreed, happy to be able to give her anything I could that would help her gain back her confidence.

She promised not to be a distraction and that she wouldn't get in the way. I assured her she would never be in the way but didn't admit that she would probably be a bit of a distraction. That was my own problem though; I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. I had to force myself to stay in my office when Sandy began noticing I was at her desk more often than usual.

"I'll look it over on Monday," I assured her.

"No. Mr. Diaz is going to come see you on Monday."

"Sandy didn't-"

"He didn't make an appointment, but if I know Mr. Diaz, and I think I do, he's going to show up on Monday."

One day a few weeks ago, I saw Sophia back at Sandy's desk on a day Bella was in the office. I'm not sure what the two were discussing, but they seemed very focused. Mr. Diaz arrived, and Bella left Sandy and Sophia to greet him. I was going to step in so she didn't have to deal with him. If I could do anything to ease her discomfort or apprehension, I would. Seeing my intent to intervene, Sandy shook her head. I was later glad I took her advice when I spoke with Mr. Diaz. I learned that he had come to talk about the patent I'd been trying to purchase from him. However, before he'd made it to me, Bella had convinced him it was in his best interest to sell. In all of fifteen minutes, she'd accomplished what I'd been attempting for the past seven months. She was just amazing. And Mr. Diaz was in love. After that, he wouldn't begin our business discussion until he'd asked after Bella. She'd made a fan.

"What for?"

"He likes to keep you on your toes." She smiled and chuckled at the frustration I was sure was on my face. "Get used to it, Edward. You're in for a real treat with him."

* * *

**AN 04/03/2019: Can anyone guess how Edward feels about Bella now? Ha! Not so subtle, pretty boy. ;) I think this answers some questions I got last chapter, about whether Edward and Bella are in a relationship. While we, and he, may want that, it just doesn't seem realistic. She's only six months back from being in captivity for _three years_. He understands he shouldn't push, but man does he want to. **

**So we meet Alice next. Many of y'all have expressed interest in her and how she reconnects with Bella. Next chapter you'll get a glimpse at their reunion and their relationship now. How do y'all anticipate that will go?**

**Find me on Facebook (Lena Kay). I'll be posting teasers before each chapter that includes pictures. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously: _

_In all of fifteen minutes, she'd accomplished what I'd been attempting for the past seven months. She was just amazing. And Mr. Diaz was in love. After that, he wouldn't begin our business discussion until he'd asked after Bella. She'd made a fan. _

"_What for?"_

"_He likes to keep you on your toes." She smiled and chuckled at the frustration I was sure was on my face. "Get used to it, Edward. You're in for a real treat with him."_

* * *

"Hello!" Alice's cheery voice startled me. I pulled back not even realizing I had been leaning into Bella. Bella stood quickly as if she'd gotten caught even though we hadn't been doing anything. Alice quirked a brow at me as she walked over to Bella and pulled her into a hug. "You look great in that dress. The color is fabulous for your skin tone."

"Hello, cousin." I turned to greet Jasper when he pulled my attention away from Bella. He was smirking at me as he patted my shoulder a little too roughly.

"Hello, Jasper." I reached out to shake his hand. "How was your day?"

"It was good. Signed a new client today, so it's a very good day." Jasper was a financial manager and was trying to get into hedge fund management. This was indeed exciting news. I congratulated him, genuinely happy and excited for him. He looked over at Bella and Alice who had taken their seats and had their heads together chatting. I wanted to see Bella with a carefree expression on her face, but there was still reservation in the set of her shoulders. "We didn't interrupt anything. Did we?" He smiled slyly as he tilted his head toward Bella.

"No; don't be ridiculous." There was no need to raise any kind of questions. Even though I would like nothing more than to be in a relationship with Bella, I didn't know if or when she would be interested in and ready for that step. "We haven't been here long. We were just talking about her walk to the club." That seemed to distract him from the topic at hand.

"How did it go?"

"Sir," Nathaniel interrupted. "May I get you something to drink?"

"I ordered the Petrus for the meal," I told Jasper. He raised a brow at me. "What? We're celebrating this milestone. Plus, it's Alice's favorite." He shook his head.

"Don't tell my wife you know that. I'll be in the dog house for not keeping track of that kind of stuff." He turned to the maître d'. "I'll have water, no lemon please. My wife will have the same." He nodded and stepped back to leave the room. "Let's have a seat. We'll talk about this later." We sat at the table but seeing as Alice commandeered my chair, I was relegated to the other side of the table with Jasper. We talked amongst ourselves for the most part because Alice carried the conversation with Bella as she did any time the two got together which still wasn't often.

Bella had decided she wanted to wait a while before letting Alice know she was back. She said she wanted to work on herself, get in better shape both mentally and physically before she spoke with anyone from her life before the abduction. She'd spent almost two weeks in the hospital before moving into Rosalie and Emmett's house on Mercer Island. Then she'd spent another month trying to adjust to her new life before asking to meet with Alice.

She'd requested I be present when Alice came to the house. I'd do anything for Bella, so I took the day off to be available – the first day off for as far back as I could remember. Bella had called around noon in a near panic attack. She had been so afraid that Alice would be angry with her, resent her, or not want anything to do with her. She knew the time after the abduction had been hard for Alice, and she didn't want to dredge up any negative memories. I assured her Alice would be thrilled to see her and know she was alive and relatively well.

_I went to Rose and Emmett's around five that evening, and Jasper and Alice were to arrive at 7:00. Esme had told Jasper that they were needed at a friend's house for dinner not elaborating on the real reason. I was with Bella in the living room when the doorbell rang. She shot off the couch and began wringing her hands in front of her. I placed a hand on her back, rubbing circles hoping to sooth her anxiety. She'd already taken an Ativan earlier because of her nerves, but you could barely tell. _

"_I'm going to be sick," she said barely above a whisper. _

"_Everything's going to be okay," I tried to assure her. _

"_I can't do this."_

"_You can. I promise. And I'm right here."_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you, Rosalie," Alice said, her voice getting louder as she walked toward the living room. She rounded the corner and smiled when she saw me. "Hello, Edward. How a-" You could tell the second she spotted Bella. She stopped mid-sentence and stumbled a few steps before Jasper caught her waist to keep her from falling. She stared, her face draining of color as if she'd seen a ghost. "B-Bella?" Bella nodded slowly. "H-how? Y-you were t-" This time it was a strangled sob that cut off her words. I glanced at Jasper only long enough to see the confusion on his face. _

"_Hi Alice," Bella said quietly. Alice covered her mouth as she cried and walked over to Bella pulling her into her arms. _

"_Oh God, Bella, it's really you." Bella wrapped her arms around Alice. _

"_Yes. It's really me." _

After being reunited, Alice wanted to spend as much time with Bella as she could. At first, Bella wanted to as well. However, the more time they spent together, the more Bella began to struggle. Seeing Alice and learning about her life now had brought forth feelings of resentment, jealousy, and anger that Bella didn't know how to handle. Part of her loved getting to know her friend again. Then part of her hated seeing what could have been. She spent many nights wrestling with herself, not knowing what feelings were winning out.

A few weeks after reuniting with her friend, Bella was talking to me about a dinner they'd shared at Jasper and Alice's house. She said that Alice had tried to ask about her time away, but Bella refused to talk about it; she actually refused to talk about it with anyone besides Jeanine and Esme. Occasionally, Bella would share stories with me, but I could tell she chose tame ones. She said Alice carried around enough guilt about the abduction that she didn't want to say anything to add to that. Alice seemed okay with it though, or she was just so glad to have Bella back in her life that she didn't try to push Bella to much. Alice and Jasper knew that I played some role in Bella's return, but they didn't know any details. Jasper had asked, but I explained that was Bella's story. If she ever felt like sharing, she could, but I wouldn't be divulging any details without her express consent.

Dinner went fairly well. Bella still held herself back a bit, but she seemed to relax as Jasper and I joined the conversation. Alice told us about a case she was working on involving a young girl in foster care who had been expelled from school for wearing a jilbab over her uniform. She was flourishing as a human rights attorney, and I could see the pride on Bella's face. No matter what Bella was struggling with, she truly wanted what was best for Alice. As dinner plates were being cleared from the table, Alice abruptly changed the subject.

"Bella, do you have anything planned for your birthday?" I look over at Bella surprised that I didn't know her birthday. It wasn't something that had ever come up in conversation, and I mentally kicked myself for not asking sooner.

"When is your birthday?" I asked with a smile. I was confused to see she looked upset at the conversation.

"Next Friday," she said quietly. "I don't have any plans though. I won't be doing anything."

"But it's your birthday!" Alice exclaimed, clearly excited to celebrate Bella. I wanted to join her in celebration, but it was obvious that Bella was not excited at the prospect.

"No; it's just another day." She didn't look up as she rearranged the silverware, condiments, and anything else she could reach on the table. I watched as her hands trembled, and opened my mouth to help shut down the topic. I wasn't quick enough though, and Alice barreled ahead not queuing in on Bella's discomfort.

"Let us throw you a party." Alice seemed oblivious to Bella's extreme discomfort. "I have the perfect recipe-"

"No!" Bella interrupted, slamming her fists on the table. The dinnerware rattled, and I watched as tears welled in her eyes and chest heaved.

* * *

**AN 04/06/2019: *Cringe* That didn't go so well, huh? I think a lot of you expected a very happy reunion between the friends, but that's not exactly how it went or is going. Can you imagine the feelings Bella must be struggling with? Of course she's happy her friend wasn't taken...but she _was_. And here sits the face of the person that got to keep their normal life. I don't think we can blame her for the complex feelings she's having towards Alice. **

**As for her birthday, I can say it's not the common 'I don't want the attention or people to spend money on me' reason for her dislike that I see in many fics. There is an underlying reason, and I'd love to hear what your theories are on the subject. Let me know in a review or message. **

**Don't forget to find me on Facebook (Lena Kay). I'll be posting teasers before each chapter that includes a picture to give you a hint. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously: _

"_Let us throw you a party." Alice seemed oblivious to Bella's extreme discomfort. "I have the perfect recipe-"_

"_No!" Bella interrupted, slamming her fists on the table. The dinnerware rattled, and I watched as tears welled in her eyes and chest heaved._

* * *

The room grew quiet at Bella's outburst. Alice dropped her head, properly chastised. While Bella made it clear her birthday wouldn't entail a large celebration, I could sense there was something more behind the eruption of emotion. This was not about a party. The tears she struggled to hold back, the tremor in her hands, and her labored breathing spoke volumes. She was terrified.

"I'm sorry," Alice said softly.

"No, no," Bella said as she shook her head taking a deep breath. "_I'm_ sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. It's just that…my recent birthdays were not fun. I just…" Bella closed her eyes at what I'm sure was some horrific memory. "Happiness is not something I associate with that day. I would rather pretend it doesn't exist. I'm not ready. Please understand." Alice reached over to lay her hand over Bella's. With her eyes closed, Bella wasn't expecting the touch and jumped upon contact. Her shoulders, which had relaxed over the course of the meal, immediately tensed and she slowly pulled her hand out from under Alice's and folded both into her lap. A look of hurt crossed Alice's face, but she schooled her features quickly into what I called her 'lawyer face'.

"I may not understand, but I will respect your wishes. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Ask Jasper; he's constantly trying to rein me in." We all laughed though it was strained. "Bella." Alice grew serious. "I don't know what happened while you were gone. I can only imagine, and trust me, my imagination runs wild. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about…that time. Not because I want to know, but because I want to understand how I can best help you. When you're ready, I'm here to listen." Bella looked around at all of us for a moment before shocking me, and I'm sure the others, by opening up.

"The first year I was gone, I was moved frequently. When we were taken in Portland and you escaped, they took me to Seattle and put me on a plane. Then we landed in Russia, but I was only there long enough for the auction." It sickened me when she spoke about her time away like this, like it was normal. It was, though; it was normal in that world. "Over the next few months, I was sold four times before I ended up somewhere in the Middle East. I'm not sure exactly where; I think it was Iraq or Iran. I heard both at some point." She picked at her napkin not meeting our eyes. "There were three of us at the time. One of the girls found out about my birthday. I'm not sure how, maybe I said something in my sleep, but she did."

"You were always talking in your sleep," Alice said with a laugh but it fell flat.

"When they came to pick us up that morning for…_work_…one of the girls told Rashad that I should be allowed a day off since it was my birthday." She shifted in her chair and picked at her shaking fingers. "He got angry and yelled that we didn't deserve time off. We existed solely for his pleasure no matter the day.

"Before we left, he decided he needed to set an example so we would understand that he was serious." I wanted to reach over and hold her when she closed her eyes and shivered. "He took me out to the yard, shoved me on my knees, and tied my arms to the post." She stopped talking long enough to gather herself, the memories attempting to overwhelm her. I could feel my anger rise as she painted the picture. No one had any right to treat her that way. She deserved better. "Trust me," she said with a humorless chuckle, "after 20 lashes, no one mentioned birthdays again. It took three weeks for my back to heal enough to the point that I could lie down without losing my breath. It took another month for the welts and redness to disappear leaving me scarred and disfigured on my back." Alice covered her mouth as her tears fell. The movement caught Bella's eye, and she looked over to Alice.

"Oh, Alice, no." Bella reached for her friend and pulled her into a hug. "Don't feel bad. I'm lucky; I'm home." Bella pulled back and held her shoulders. "Don't cry. Don't be upset. It was a long time ago, and I'm fine now."

"But I-" Bella shook her head.

"No buts." She smiled and wiped a tear from Alice's cheek. She sat back and took a deep breath. "Dinner was wonderful…and your company." She smiled at each of us. "I'm not feeling very well now, so I'm going to take my leave." She stood, and I followed.

"Let me take you home," I said softly. "It's late and very dark out. I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you walk that distance at this time of night. There may not be many cars on the road, but they won't be able to see you when they drive by." She nodded and turned for the door just as the maître d' walked in.

"Nathaniel, thank you for tonight. Everything was wonderful." He smiled at her affectionately as I hugged Jasper and kissed Alice on the cheek.

"The pleasure is truly mine. I hope to see you again." She smiled a bit tightly and nodded.

"Please send the check to my company address," I said quietly to him as we left the room, and he nodded.

I led Bella through the dining room and out the front. The temperature had dropped and wind had picked up causing Bella to shiver. I removed my jacket and draped it around her shoulders. She didn't even look up at me; I don't think it even registered to her. The driver was waiting near the entrance and after spotting us, left to retrieve the car. I stopped near the circular drive to wait and cautiously laid an arm over Bella's shoulders not wanting to startle her but wanting her to know she wasn't alone.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she looked up and smiled at me apologetically. Her eyes crinkled, and she rubbed her temples.

"You have nothing to apologize for," I said as I shook my head.

"I just…sometimes I think it's hopeless, that I'll never be normal."

"Hey." I pulled her to a stop before she stepped into the car. "Don't aspire for normal. There's nothing fun about it. Be you. You're exactly who you should be." A small smile graced her face for a few seconds.

"I didn't mean to bring down the mood, and I didn't mean to burden you with that story. I just…Jeanine said I need to open up to those with whom I'm close. She said it'd help both parties to understand and better approach a relationship, whatever relationship that may be."

"You psychiatrist is a smart woman." I smiled at her to show I understood. She looked at me appreciatively. "Bella, I know you don't want to talk about it. That took a lot out of you, but I do want you to know something. You did not deserve what happened to you. More importantly though, you need to understand that while that affects you, and I do not wish to diminish your experience, it does not define you. I have seen those scars, and they do not disfigure you. You are beautiful, every inch of you." She pushed up onto her toes and pressed her lips to my cheek.

"Thank you for thinking that."

* * *

**AN 04/10/2019: Some heavy stuff today right out of the gate. Bella's captivity and how she ended up in Germany remained much of a secret in the first installment. We'll be getting more details about that time as this story progresses. As heavy as it is/was, Edward was there to help her. It's a good sign that she's opening up to those that care for her, and it's a great opportunity for Edward to keep her out of her head, try to draw her back from those dark memories. **

**Also, I was surprised how many people were upset with Alice last chapter. I mean, yes, she overstepped. But remember she's trying to learn to navigate this relationship too. Imagine your best friend is found after three years. Three years after saving you from what you can only imagine was a horrible fate. And Alice can only imagine, because Bella won't talk to her about it. Survivor's guilt is real, and Alice is trying to learn to live with that. Now, that's not me saying that what Alice did was right, but I hope seeing it through that lens helps. **

**Let me know what you think. Also, check out my Facebook page (Lena Kay) for inspiration pictures. I post teasers there the day before I post the chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"Your psychiatrist is a smart woman." I smiled at her to show I understood. She looked at me appreciatively. "Bella, I know you don't want to talk about it. That took a lot out of you, but I do want you to know something. You did not deserve what happened to you. More importantly though, you need to understand that while that affects you, and I do not wish to diminish your experience, it does not define you. I have seen those scars, and they do not disfigure you. You are beautiful, every inch of you." She pushed up onto her toes and pressed her lips to my cheek. _

_"Thank you for thinking that." _

* * *

Bella remained quiet throughout the ride back to Emmett and Rosalie's. I didn't want to push her so I just remained silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Once we pulled onto her street, she seemed to become a bit more animated. She thanked me for the night and said that despite the heavy moment, she had rather enjoyed herself. By the time we pulled in front of the house, she'd shed my jacket and was leaning against my side.

"I'm not being very good company," she said as she leaned her head against my shoulder. "I feel so drained."

"You accomplished a lot tonight," I told her as I pulled her hand into mine. "I can only imagine how uncomfortable and exhausting that was for you."

"I'm comfortable now though." I smiled.

"Did you enjoy any part of it?"

"Oh yes! The Country Club was great. 4.3 stars." I looked at her curiously. "Sorry." She giggled. "Something my dad and I used to do. Rate places, things, on a scale of 1 to 5. It was something his parents did, and when they passed away, he said he resolved to carry it forward. We've been doing it as long as I could remember. He used to have a hard time getting me to talk about my day at school. I did pretty well in my classes, but I didn't have a lot of friends. I got bullied sometimes because of how well I did academically. When I had a particularly rough day, I didn't like to talk about it. It drove him nuts I'm sure, because otherwise, I was a pretty chatty kid. I couldn't resist rating though. That's how he gauged my day, by the stars."

"4.3 is pretty good." She nodded. "I'm sure Charlie would still love to do that with you."

"That was before." I felt her shrug slightly. "I don't know if it's be the same. I guess I won't know until I try though." She let out a long sigh. "It's been a good night."

"Then I hate to say this, but we're at the house." She groaned. "Come on. Let's get you inside. It's been a long day."

I helped her out of the car, and once she was upright, she leaned against me again. I wrapped an arm around her, guiding her up the drive and front porch stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs, turned to me, and then looked up as she leaned into me. Her eyes were sleepy, her smile lazy and content. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen.

"Do I get to see you tomorrow?" she asked quietly. I frowned.

"Unfortunately, I won't be here in Seattle," I said with a sigh. "I have to work on a marketing campaign proposal this weekend and review some contracts. I'm going to my home on Bainbridge since I've not been there in a few weeks. It'll give me a chance to check over the place and get some uninterrupted time to work." She frowned before clearing her face.

"Oh. Okay." She tried to hide her disappointment, but I could hear it. It made me feel good to know that she wanted to see me too.

"Have you ever been to Bainbridge Island?" She shook her head. "Would you like to visit?" She smiled and nodded.

"I've heard it's beautiful. When my dad was young, he served in the Seattle PD for a few years. He used to talk about the homes on the island. I always wanted to see them."

"You are welcome to visit anytime. I know it's a bit far from here, a little over an hour and that includes the ferry. If you don't feel up to traveling that distance by yourself perhaps Rosalie, Emmett, and you would like to come for dinner sometime?"

"That sounds wonderful. I'll ask them when a good time would be, or maybe my dad would want to come. I'll call you as soon as I know." I reached forward and hugged her to me.

"Sweet dreams." I kissed her forehead before gently pushing her towards the door. "Go in. You're dead on your feet." She opened the door and turned to tell me goodnight before closing me out.

I walked back to the car and slid inside asking the driver to head toward Bainbridge. I grabbed my briefcase and pulled the proposal hard files from inside. I figured I could get at least some work completed on the long drive home. That was the plan, but sooner than I expected, I heard the car cut off. I'd been so lost in thought the whole drive had passed without an iota of work getting accomplished. My mind was stuck on the brunette beauty I'd left just an hour ago.

~LBSS~

I reached toward the bedside table and turned the alarm off. 7:00am. Six hours of sleep would have to be enough. I had more work I wanted to get done before Bella came; _if_ Bella came. I took a shower first letting the warm water wash over me. I pulled on a pair of jeans, a light blue button down, and a navy vest then went to the kitchen to see if I had anything for breakfast.

To my surprise, I found cereal and a small container of milk. I made a bowl and stood at the bar as I ate. I pulled the proposal toward me and grabbed a pen to make notes. Once I'd finished the cereal, I placed the bowl in the sink and took my micro-presentations to the office hoping to focus and get through the proposals fairly quickly. I was so engrossed in my work that I must not have heard the door open. I did hear a startled scream which pulled me from my work.

"Mr. Masen!" Mrs. Spencer exclaimed with a hand over her heart. "You startled the daylights out of me. I didn't know you were coming in this weekend."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Spencer. I should have let you know." I stood as she walked over and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm not your keeper, just your housekeeper." She giggled at her quip. "I'm just here to do a little cleaning and change out the milk. I try to keep some on hand in case you do something like this, young man." She smiled as she patted my cheek. "It's been almost a month since I've seen you. How have you been?"

"I'm well, thank you. You?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy. What brings you here?"

"Just checking in and trying to get some work done. It has indeed been a while, so I wanted to check on the place. Not to imply that you aren't doing a fine job of course. I just-"

"Oh, dear, you don't need to explain. It is your place after all. How are things at work?" She moved around the office dusting every surface.

"Busy. Business has been picking up. I'm thinking about hiring another VP. The workload has increased exponentially. Are you interested?" She smiled as she laughed heartily. It was a running joke between us that I'd hire her to my company in a heartbeat. She was one of the sharpest people I knew.

"You wish, Mr. Masen. I'm afraid I have to pass. You'd fall apart if I didn't take care of you here." She smiled at me fondly.

"That's very true, Mrs.-" My phone ringing cut me off mid-sentence. Mrs. Spencer pushed me towards it with another laugh. "Hello."

"Hey, how are you?" I smiled hearing the sweet voice on the other end.

* * *

**AN 04/12/2019: Happy Saturday! Here's a snippet of Bella's life from before. Sounds like Charlie was a fun dad! **

**So these two may not be together, and Edward isn't doing anything to push Bella, but seems like there's more than just a casual friendship there. Mutually - not just Edward! What do you think?**

**I also hope you like Mrs. Spencer. She'll be around for more of the story. I've got a picture of her on my Facebook page if you want a visual. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

Previously:

_"You wish, Mr. Masen I'm afraid I have to pass. You'd fall apart if I didn't take care of you here." She smiled at me fondly._

_"That's very true, Mrs.-" My phone ringing cut me off mid-sentence. Mrs. Spencer pushed me towards it with another laugh. "Hello."_

_"Hey, how are you?" I smiled hearing the sweet voice on the other end._

* * *

I rushed through the door at 6:30pm. It was Friday night, and I'd planned to be home earlier so I would have plenty of time to get ready. Bella was coming over tonight for dinner. I smiled at the thought. I'd invited Emmett and Rosalie to join us, but they had to decline last minute as something came up with a family member. I'd offered to send a driver to pick her up, but Bella refused. She said she wanted to find her own way. If everything went according to plan, she was going to arrive in about half an hour.

"Mr. Masen," Mrs. Spencer said as she rounded the corner, wiping her hands on a rag. "What took you so long? Bella will be here very soon. You're not going to wear that are you?"

"Work took longer than I expected," I told her as I placed my briefcase next to the door and pulled my jacket off. She took it from me and pushed me toward the stairs.

"No time. No time. Just go get ready. I've almost finished dinner, and I've set plates at the island. No need for formality; I don't think it'd be appreciated." I took the first three steps then heard her yell from the kitchen. "And wear something more appropriate. I raised you better than that."

"Yes, ma'am," I yelled back and rolled my eyes.

I rushed through my shower and grabbed a pair of jeans, a dark green button-down shirt, and a vest to match. As I was running a towel over my hair, the intercom rang. I tossed the towel in the hamper and hurried through the house to the kitchen. The gate light indicated a visitor was waiting, so I asked who it was to be sure. It was Bella, of course, so I unlocked the gate. Mrs. Spencer smiled at me as she plated the food.

"So," I said quickly, "do I pass inspection?" She smiled mischievously.

"Twirl for me," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"No." She laughed heartily.

"Then I guess we'll never know." She turned back to place some dishes in the dishwasher. "Shouldn't you be greeting your date at the door.

"It's just dinner." When she snorted, I turned and left to meet Bella at the front door. "Please come in," I told Bella as I opened the door. She was standing there in a long emerald green jacket, matching gloves, and a beanie with tassels that looked like a cupcake. It was complete with a cherry on top. I smiled at the sight. It was cute. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey. I'm glad you're here." She smiled, her cheeks a rosy pink presumably from the cold outside.

"Take her jacket," I heard Mrs. Spencer hiss from behind me. _Duh_.

"I'm sorry. I don't know where my manners have gone. Let me take your jacket. I believe the food is ready, so you couldn't have had better timing." She unbuttoned the jacket, and I moved behind her so I could slide it from her shoulders. As I hung it in the closet, she pulled off the gloves and beanie which I laid on the foyer table before taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen where Mrs. Spencer had returned after spying on us. "Bella, this is Mrs. Spencer. She takes care of me and my home when I'm on Bainbridge." Mrs. Spencer rolled her eyes while she walked over then pulled Bella into a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you, dear," she said as she winked at me before pulling away. "He exaggerates. I just do a little cleaning, a little cooking. I have to be on my way though. Mr. Spencer doesn't feed himself. He's fairly useless in the kitchen." They both giggled. "Dinner's on the table. I hope you enjoy it. Mr. Masen, I'll be back on Monday to restock. Please let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Mrs. Spencer." I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Please drive safely."

"Of course." She turned back to Bella. "Maybe if he doesn't scare you off, we can get to know each other better. I've been with the Cullen family for many years, so I have some great stories about Edward here." I groaned. She had been with my family since I was 13, so she indeed had some rather embarrassing stories. Bella looked at me and smiled widely.

"That sounds wonderful, Mrs. Spencer. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." Within minutes, we were left standing alone in the kitchen. "I like her." I chuckled.

"She's a great woman, but she tends to exaggerate. I'm not sure you should listen to her stories. She can't be trusted." Bella rolled her eyes. What was it with the women in my life doing that? "Are you hungry? Ready to eat?" She nodded, so I led her over to the island pulling a stool out for her. "What would you like to drink? I have water, tea, wine, and beer."

"Iced tea sounds great." I poured us both a glass before sitting next to her. "Edward, this kitchen is a dream." I watched as she looked around with a look of awe on her face. I smiled, glad she liked what she saw then placed our drinks on the island before taking my seat beside her.

"Dig in." We were quiet for the first few minutes as we ate the delicious meal.

"This is wonderful." I swiveled the chair so I was facing her, one leg behind her and the other touching her thigh.

"Mrs. Spencer has always been a phenomenal cook." Bella asked about how I met her. "She became a housekeeper for Carlisle and Esme when I was thirteen. She was more than that though. She cooked, she cleaned, and she helped raise us."

"May I ask?" She trailed off as she twirled the spaghetti around her fork.

"Anything."

"Carlisle and Esme…you refer to them as your parents occasionally but also your aunt and uncle. What's the story there? What happened with your parents?" I laid my fork down and wiped my mouth before propping my arm on the bar.

"Carlisle and my mother were siblings, so technically, they are my uncle and aunt. My father passed away when I was twelve in a car accident. He had been working late on an upcoming case. When he was close to trial, he tended to fixate on it, which meant it was always late when he returned home. That night, it was late and had been storming for most of the day. The roads were soaked. He hydroplaned, lost control of the car, and spun off the road. The car flipped and he died at the hospital."

"Edward." She laid her hand on my thigh and squeezed drawing a sad smile from me.

"My mother died two months later when she was also driving, but she was hit by a drunk driver. Carlisle and Esme took me in after that. They were saints, putting up with me. I didn't handle life very well during that time. I was an angry kid and acted out often. They tried everything, and I mean everything, to reach me." I hated remembering that time of my life. I was ashamed of my behavior and how I treated them. "When Mrs. Spencer was hired though." I couldn't keep the smile from stretching across my face. "I'm not sure why, but she was my saving grace. Maybe it was that she wouldn't take any of my crap. She didn't baby me or handle me with kid gloves. She treated me like she would any other kid that was acting out that just needed a firm hand."

"She sounds like an amazing woman." I smiled.

"She is." I sighed. "And she's a pain in my behind sometimes." Bella giggled.

"Oh yes. I am absolutely going to enjoy getting to know Mrs. Spencer." I groaned at the thought. I'd have to keep those two apart if possible.

We continued to eat our food, and Bella told me about her father raising her on his own. I could tell she was fond of Charlie, and after the few times I'd met him, I could tell why. He was a wonderful, caring father. He'd been very supportive throughout these past few months. While he hadn't been happy about Bella staying in Seattle, he understood that going home wasn't in her best interest either.

Though home wasn't exactly home anymore. When the police had given up the search for Bella, Charlie had taken up the search on his own, but it hadn't been easy or cheap. To fund the search, he'd sold everything he owned including his house. He now lived with his girlfriend Sue on the nearby La Push Reservation. Despite the distance, he drove the five hours and was in Seattle every weekend and any time during the week that he could swing it too after having taken five weeks off when she first came home.

After finishing the meal and placing our plates in the sink, Bella asked for a tour of the house. It was the first time I was nervous to show someone my home. I was very happy with my purchase, and I knew it was beautiful. Any person I'd brought here said as much. This was Bella though. I'd never wanted someone to like my home as much as her. It was important that she like the place. I wanted her to spend more time here. With me. I took her around answering her questions and appreciating how much she liked everything. She seemed to be in awe of most of the house. Once we made our way into the last bedroom, which was rather small, decorated in a light blue that I thought it was a great starter home, but she didn't see it the same way.

"I can't believe you see this as a starter home," she said after I'd commented. "I'd be embarrassed to show you where I grew up."

"Hey," I said as I gently took her arm and turned her toward me. "Never be embarrassed of your past. It made you who you are. And I, for one, love who you are."

* * *

**AN 04/17/2019: A little more about Mrs. Spencer, a little more about Esme and Carlisle, and a little more about young Edward. Man, we covered a lot here when you think about it! And then that last line...oh boy, is he getting ahead of himself. How do you think Bella's going to react? How do you think _he_ is going to react? This one made me giggle. Hope you enjoyed it too. Let me know what you think. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_I can't believe you see this as a starter home," she said after I'd commented. "I'd be embarrassed to show you where I grew up." _

"_Hey," I said as I gently took her arm and turned her toward me. "Never be embarrassed of your past. It made you who you are. And I, for one, love who you are."_

* * *

_Fuck._ I hadn't meant to say that to her. I closed my eyes afraid of what I would see. God, how bad did I screw up? Love? Why did I have to use that word? It was too soon. I didn't want to scare her away. It would scare her away; wouldn't it? She'd been through so much already. Now she was working on healing, putting together her life – a life that she was in control of, a life that was her own. She didn't need me complicating it. She didn't –

"Thank you," her quite voice broke me from my thoughts. I peeked to find her smiling at me with shining eyes. She pressed onto her tip toes and kissed my cheek. Before I could enjoy the sensation, she moved back, cleared her throat, and turned around. "Can I see the back patio? I got a glimpse, and I'm intrigued."

"Of course," I told her enthusiastically. I stepped forward and placed my hand on her back to guide her toward the living room. When we reached the French doors, I opened them then gestured for her to precede me.

"Oh, Edward!" Though I could hear her excitement, her voice was quiet, awed. "This is…I'm not sure I've seen a more beautiful view. The water…the mountains…goodness, you have it all." Pride swelled at her comment. She made me see it with fresh eyes. I'd owned the home long enough that the awe had worn off. I didn't spend much time on the island, and when I did, I was working. I had forgotten how wonderful it could be here. "How do you ever leave?"

"That's a very good question. I guess I just get so caught up in everyday life that I forget what I have." She stepped back until she was beside me and leaned her head against my shoulder. I moved my arm to hold her close. It was October after all, and the weather was dropping into the 50s. I needed to keep her warm.

"Can we just enjoy this for a few minutes?" She took a deep breath and released it. I felt some tension ease from her shoulders. "I just…I feel…safe here." Unable to resist, I turned and kissed the crown of her head.

"We can stay as long as you want. Come over and sit down though; get comfortable."

I moved us to the patio furniture and sat down before she joined me. She crawled next to me with her feet tucked under herself then leaned against me once more. We spent the next few minutes in silence, just enjoying the view and each other's company. The repetitive sound of the water lapping against the dock was calming.

More than that though, being with Bella like this relaxed me more than usual. I usually couldn't sit still, couldn't keep my mind from being on overdrive. With her though, I wanted to be here in this moment. It made me want to be with her all the time. When I was with her, she brought me perspective. She reminded me to slow down and smell the flowers if you will. She made me realize there was more to life than just the office even though she cared about that as well.

"Sunsets are beautiful, but I think I might like sunrises more. The way the light breaks through; it's just so _hopeful."_ I completely understood. There were moments her genuine smile appeared, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds. It gave me hope that she'd be able to heal from the horrible years she had. "That's not an emotion I feel often anymore."

"You'll have to come back to watch a sunrise with me. It's pretty spectacular on the water." We lapsed back into silence as the warmth of her against me filled my heart with warmth too.

"How did the meeting with Mr. Lindell go?" she eventually asked. I chuckled at the memory.

Arthur Lindell was a businessman considering selling me his company, and we'd had a meeting on the books for a few weeks. Earlier this week I'd taken Bella to dinner, and as we were leaving, Mr. Lindell approached me to say hello. I introduced him to Bella, and he insisted we have a drink with he and his wife, Lydia. I tried to apologize to Bella, but she'd waved me off with a smile. I could see her uneasiness, but she refused to let me back out. She understood that deals were often made outside of the office. Lydia had started off stilted in her interactions, but soon she was smiling and laughing genuinely with Bella. Mr. Lindell, well, if he wasn't so in love with his wife, I might have worried I would have competition for Bella's heart. She had gone and charmed both Arthur and Lydia in a way only she could.

"I owe you a bonus," I told her and she looked up at me in surprise and confusion.

"I don't work for you."

"A consultation fee then."

"What? What are you even talking about?"

"You clinched that deal for me. Mr. Lindell shook my hand, sat down, and asked where you were." I turned so that I was still seated but facing her. "He signed the paperwork today. MC Inc. is now officially in the sports management business." She smiled widely before throwing her arms around me.

"That's wonderful, Edward!" She pulled back before I could wrap my arms around her. "We should celebrate. You've been trying to break into sports management for two years. This is huge! Come on." Without giving me a second to process, she took my hand, stood quickly from the loveseat, and pulled me inside.

"We don't have to-"

"Of course, we do." She threw a smile over her shoulder, and I'd never seen a sight more beautiful. I tripped over my foot as we stepped into the wine cellar because my focus was on her. She looked around at the racks of bottles with trepidation. "Now it's your turn. What's good for a celebration?"

"Bella, I've never seen you drink." She shrugged one shoulder.

"I know. I just…the thought of doing that in public makes me nervous. I like to be alert, have a clear head. Here though," she shrugged once more. "Like I said, I feel safe. You make me feel safe, but this place makes me feel safe too. You won't let anything happen to me here." I was shaking my head before she finished speaking.

"Never. As long as I can, I'm going to take care of you."

"Then pick something, something worthy of a celebration." Since she was still holding my hand in hers, I pulled her toward the far wall where the champagne bottles were stored. I reached for the top shelf and pulled down a bottle. I handed it to Bella as I retrieved the appropriate glasses then joined her at the tasting table. "Krug Clos D…"

"Krug Clos D'Ambonnay 1998." She squeaked when I popped the cork and giggled as I poured each glass. She lifted both and handed me one before holding hers up and clearing her throat.

"To you, for doing such a brilliant job and getting what you deserve. Congratulations on growing your company even further." She softly clinked her glass to mine and raised it to her lips. With a dainty sip, she closed her eyes and hummed. When her eyes opened and met mine, she tilted her head and smiled at me. "Why aren't you celebrating? Do you not want to drink it?" I shook myself out of my stupor before taking a sip and savoring the taste. I had three of these bottles I was saving for a special occasion. This time spent with Bella was definitely special to me. "This is so good. What is it?"

"A special champagne I ordered a few years ago. You like?"

"Special?" She held a hand to her heart and looked at me with trepidation. "Oh goodness, should we not have opened this?" I placed my hand on her arm to calm her.

"This _is_ special. Thank you for being here with me tonight."

* * *

**AN 04/20/19:** Well, doesn't seem like she freaked out! But it also doesn't seem that she took it as a confession of love either. She's very comfortable with Edward though. She says ahe feels safe on Bainbridge, but more importantly, she feels safe with him. *insert big, cheesy smile* Let me know what y'all think. For those of y'all on Facebook, give about an hour and I'll have pictures of the Bainbridge home loaded to my page.


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Special?" She held a hand to her heart and looked at me with trepidation. "Oh goodness, should we not have opened this?" I placed my hand on her arm to calm her. _

"_This is special. Thank you for being here with me tonight."_

* * *

I didn't see as much of Bella as I would like over the next few months. Work became exceptionally busy, because we were in the process of acquiring three new businesses and I'd started taking kickboxing lessons a few times a week. After meeting Bella and figuring out who she was, I broke off the deal with the German company. I'd never be able to go back, so it didn't make sense to own anything there. If we were successful in acquiring these three companies, we'd be able to recover the lost funds I'd caused. I'd been forgoing my salary in the meantime to ensure no layoffs were required.

Bella was busy as well. She continued to shadow Sandy once a week, which meant I still got to see her occasionally. However, she was also spending two days a week with Esme at The Bureau. She was finally participating in the INTERPOL investigation that was being conducted around her abduction and subsequent captivity. It had taken months to finally convince her to take part. Additionally, she'd taken an interest in the work the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force was doing that Carlisle and Esme had been a part of for years now. While all of that was a great thing, and I could understand her attention was elsewhere, it also felt as if there was a distance that had grown between us. I continued to call her, talk with her when I could. Any time I found something interesting, I'd call her just to chat about it. When she was around though, I sensed she was pulling away, almost as if she was upset with me for some reason. I hoped I was wrong, and that I was just overthinking things.

This previous week had been particularly brutal for me at work. One of the companies we were attempting to acquire told me they were considering backing out of the deal. I'd rearranged my schedule to meet with the owner and discuss his concerns. It had taken three days to pull things back on track but he'd eventually relented. On top of that, one of my VPs had given their notice of plans to retire. I was expecting it at some point in the next year but was honestly a bit blindsided by her abruptness. I would never want to hold someone back from their plans, but it put her department in a bind. I'd been spending extra time at the office trying to decide on her replacement and reassure the team members that I had no plans to downsize.

Even with all the uncertainty at work though, I couldn't help but be excited about tonight. Bella and I had plans to go see a movie at 7:00, and there was no way I was missing it. I had been insistent with Sandy that this was of the utmost importance, so she had arranged for my last meeting to end well before 6:30 to ensure I was on time. Mr. Harold, however, was keeping me late. I didn't want to offend or upset him by cutting our meeting off before he felt it was concluded, but I couldn't keep from glancing at my watch as he droned on about his plans for after the acquisition. Just as he began a new diatribe, we were interrupted by a knock at the office door. Sandy stuck her head inside without hesitation.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt, gentlemen," she said with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Masen, there's been an emergency with your family. You're needed." At first, I began to panic, but once Mr. Harold turned my way, Sandy winked and it settled my nerves. I apologized to my guest and walked him to the elevator. When the doors slid closed, Sandy was handing me my things. "Your aunt called earlier and asked that you give her a call after work. I told her you had plans with Ms. Swan, and she said you could make it a quick call before meeting Ms. Swan whom Phillip has already picked up. He should be here in ten minutes."

"Sandy, I can't-" She waved me off.

"I'm happy to help." She reached forward and pressed the button to call the elevator. "Now, Carter Elliott called to schedule a meeting for tomorrow. He's a bit concerned about the R&D department's future after the acquisition. I scheduled him for 9:15am just before your 10:00 with Sophia for her exit meeting. You have an hour break before the interview over lunch with Genevieve Arnette. I've loaded her portfolio to your tablet for review. After that you're free until 2:00pm. An Agent Garren Acker called and was insistent that I schedule an appointment with you. He indicated you would know-" I interrupted her. I had meant to tell her if Agent Garren Acker from the German Criminal Police Office – Serious and Organized Crime Division called to put him through to me immediately.

"Yes, I know who he is. I'm sorry; I should have given you his name. If Agent Acker calls, please ensure we schedule sufficient time for him. He's top priority." The tension in her shoulders eased and she smiled.

"Good. He is coming at 2:00. I wasn't sure how long you would need for him. Therefore, I have tentatively scheduled Ms. Jensen with you at 4:00pm." I nodded and stepped onto the lift holding the door open. "You should be wrapped and out of here by 5:30, 6:00 at the latest and should have plenty of time to reach Bainbridge before your family arrives at 7:30pm." I really needed to do something to thank her for all she did. She was so much more than an administrative assistant. She kept my whole life organized.

"Good night, Sandy. Thank you for everything."

"Good night. I'll see you in the morning. Now, call your aunt." I did as she instructed and the call connected as I stepped outside and stood under the overhang waiting for the car. "Hi, Esme."

"Edward, I'm so glad I caught you," she said, and I could hear the relief in her voice. "Garren needs to speak with you, so I told him to call Sandy."

"Yes, she scheduled him for tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. Bella's been helpful, but we've hit a bit of a snag. It's understandable that she's having a difficult time being comfortable around Garren. Well, she seems to be having a difficult time with any one German it seems." She sighed, and I nodded in understanding even thought she couldn't see me. I looked at the passing traffic not really seeing the different vehicles. "Anyway, there's a tattoo on Bella that we've had a bit of a break on, the one on her neck."

"The barcode?"

"Yes. We need to talk to her about it, but every time we bring it up, she leaves the room. I've mentioned it to Jeanine, but I thought maybe you could try to speak with her, see if you can get anywhere with her." This time, I sighed.

"Aunt Esme."

"I know!" she rushed to cut me off. "I know what I'm asking, and I hate to do it. I'm desperate, though, Edward. I really think this is crucial. I have a feeling this could be our big break. I can't explain it, but there's just something about it. Please. You know me; you know I wouldn't ask unless I felt it was absolutely necessary." Phillip pulled to a stop at the street and I signaled for a minute. I let out a long breath.

"I'll try, but I'm not making any guarantees."

"Thank you."

"You owe me." She chuckled.

"You name the dish and the day, and I will make the meal." I smiled at her quick acquiescence.

"I need to let you go. Bella's here." I began walking to the car and Phillip opened the door for me. Bella looked up and smiled at me tugging a smile from my own lips. "Bye, Esme."

"Bye, Sweet Boy."

* * *

**AN 04/24/2019: I bet some of y'all are happy to see some movement on the investigation. There have been questions about the organization and whether or not they're looking for Bella. While we don't have an answer to that specific question yet, this little glimpse should start giving you some ideas and more theories. I love your theories! What do you think the tattoo is from and what is it's meaning? **


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"I need to let you go. Bella's here." I began walking to the car and Phillip opened the door for me. Bella looked up and smiled at me tugging a smile from my own lips. "Bye, Aunt Esme."_

_"Bye, Sweet Boy."_

* * *

This wasn't going to work. I knew it within five minutes of taking our seats in the theater that we would not finish the movie tonight. Bella had been friendly, but that inexplicable distance I'd noticed over the last month or so was just under the surface. She's greeted me, we'd talked, and when Phillip had helped her from the car, she clung to my arm in the crowd of movie-goers. She was doing well, so much better than anyone expected her to do.

I'd pre-purchased the tickets so we'd bypassed the line and gone straight to the concessions where I ordered two Cokes, popcorn, and a box of Bunch-a-Crunch. Bella smiled at the box fondly then smiled up at me. She'd mentioned in passing how much she liked the snack during one of our 'hotel conversations' as she referred to off-site all inclusives when I'd purchased her time before we'd been able to rescue her. From the concession stand, she'd made a quick stop at the restroom before we found our seats. I'd purposely chosen seats so that no one could walk behind her, but she still hadn't relaxed. Twenty minutes into the movie and her eyes were darting around, constantly scanning her surroundings. I kept my body turned toward the screen, but I watched her from the corner of my eye. I hoped she would eventually settle, but I had a feeling she was pushing herself a little too soon.

"Edward." I turned at her whisper, and my heart broke when I saw her fighting to keep the tears from falling that had gathered in her eyes. "Is it o-okay if we go?" I reached up with both hands and swiped her tears away.

"Of course." I pulled her head down to kiss her forehead. "Deep breath, Bella. It's okay. You've done great." She let out a shuddering breath and sniffled. I placed the bucket of popcorn on the ground then put the box of candy on top before standing and pulling my arms through my jacket. I took Bella's jacket and offered my hand, but before she stood, she snatched the candy. She then took my hand, stood, and turned to walk out of the theater as she pulled me along apologizing to the people we passed as they moved their legs. Once we were in the hallway, I tugged her to a stop and held out the jacket, because the November air was cold outside. Once she had it on and I zipped it up, I could feel her shaking. Unable to stop myself, I pulled her into my arms. She wrapped hers around and held me tightly. I could feel her heart hammering in her chest. "Oh, Bella. You're safe."

"I'm s-sorry." I pulled her back so I could look her in the eye.

"You have nothing to apologize for. There is no timetable for this. You don't need to push yourself. You have not failed at anything. We'll try this again at a later date when you feel ready and comfortable. Okay?" She nodded once then averted her eyes. I was disappointed she couldn't keep eye contact with me. Something was going on, and I intended to find out what it was. "Come on."

I led her outside where Phillip was waiting with the car. I'd texted him as we were leaving our seats. He held open the door with a smile for Bella. I asked him to take us to the condo in Cherry Hill. I didn't know how our conversation would go, so I wanted Bella to be relatively close to Mercer Island for when she decided to go back to Rosalie and Emmett's. She was quiet, lost in her own thoughts, as we rode through the streets of Seattle. When we arrived at the building, the sound of the door opening jarred her back to reality. She looked around in confusion before turning to me with curiosity on her face.

"We're at my condo," I told her. "I keep a place in the city. If I have to work late, I can come here. Also, it's a place I can offer to clients that have to fly in for meetings. I can host guests here more easily."

"You have two homes?" she asked with a stunned expression.

"Well, this was the first place I bought, because it's close to the office, but it's relatively small. It served a purpose, was more of an investment. Bainbridge is my home." She peered at the building outside. "Shall we?" She nodded slowly. I stepped outside and spoke quietly with Phillip. "I'll text you when Bella is ready to go home. I'll be staying here for the night. Therefore, once you drop her off, you're relieved for the night."

"Yes, Mr. Masen," he replied as he held Bella's hand to help her from the car.

"Thank you, Phillip," Bella said quietly.

"You're welcome, Miss Bella."

He left us as I held out my arm which Bella took, and I led her inside to the elevator where I inserted my key card before pressing the button for the top floor. The doors slid open to reveal one of only two doors on the floor. I dropped Bella's hand to unlock the door and open it for her to step inside. I helped her out of the jacket then told her to explore while I put our things in the coat closet. I watched as she made her way into the open living area then turn toward the kitchen before putting our jackets away. I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk. I would ask Bella about the tattoo like Esme wanted, but first, I wanted to make sure things were okay between us.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked when I found Bella staring out the window toward the Space Needle. She was so lost in thought, she didn't stir at my question. I moved to the refrigerator where I retrieved two water bottles then moved to stand beside her. "Bella." Unaware that I had crossed the room to stand beside her, my close proximity frightened her. She jerked away and turned her back to press against the window, her eyes open wide with fear. I took two steps away and held my hands up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She looked around in confusion then closed her eyes as her shoulders slumped.

"I'm so sorry."

"Bella, you really don't need to apologize. I should have made you aware of my presence." I lowered my hands and waited for her to open her eyes. "Why don't we have a seat?" She nodded her head once and moved to take a seat on the couch where she pulled a pillow into her lap. I placed a bottle of water on the table within her reach then took a seat on the couch near her but with space between us. I didn't want to crowd her.

"I guess you want to know what's going on with me, huh?" She sounded defensive, a tone she hadn't taken with me before. I needed to be cautious with how I approached this. Of course, I wanted to know, but more importantly, I wanted her to be comfortable with me. And I wanted her to _want_ to talk to me. I never wanted to force her to do or say anything.

"I only want you to do what you want to do. Honestly, right now, I want to talk about us." She looked up at me warily. "I feel like there's been a distance growing between us recently. If there's something I've done, something I've said that has upset you, I hope you would feel comfortable telling me. I want to fix whatever it is. You're important to me, Bella. You mean so much to me. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship." She reached for the water and tried to unscrew the lid before handing it to me after a few unsuccessful attempts. After taking a sip, she closed the lid then placed it back on the table, turned so she was facing me, leaned into the cushions of the couch, and opened her mouth three times before actually speaking.

"If you knew who I was, if you knew what was happening…how…why did you leave me there for so long before getting me out?"

* * *

**AN 04/27/2019: So the movie was a bust. She's brave for trying, but it's just a bit too early. She's done great navigating on her own, but it's been relatively few people around. This would be quite a few, a bit too much for her yet. Edward was so great trying to help her and getting her to somewhere safe, his condo. **

**And we finally see why Bella's been a little distance. She's struggling to understand the delay behind her rescue. She knows there was a team involved, but she only ever saw Edward. So, she's attaching everything that happened to just Edward. Heavy stuff for them both. Next chapter, you'll get to hear about Edward's story from Do Not Go Gentle. I think some of y'all will be excited about that. Edward from that time is largely unknown. What do you think you'll hear? How do you think Bella will react?**

**Also, there are pictures of the condo on my Facebook page. I love looking at home search sites, so this is one of my favorite parts of 'research'. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_She reached for the water and tried to unscrew the lid before handing it to me after a few unsuccessful attempts to open the bottle. After taking a sip, she closed the lid then placed it back on the table, turned so she was facing me, leaned into the cushions of the couch, and opened her mouth three times before actually speaking. _

"_If you knew who I was; if you knew what was happening. How…why did you leave me there for so long before getting me out?"_

* * *

It took me a few seconds to catch up with her train of thought. Germany. The club. She was talking about her escape. I took a deep breath as I turned so that I was facing her as well. Part of me knew that eventually we would have this conversation. Part of me hoped we never would. This was something I, myself, struggled with both back then and today as well. Even though it was necessary according to the experts, it was a hard reality to handle.

"It was September when I first met you," I told her as I thought back to that first time I saw her step on stage. "I was in the process of purchasing a company based in Berlin. I was there to meet with the owners, do a walk-through of the building and get a feel for operations. The owners insisted on taking me out to welcome me to the country. I had no idea where they were taking me, and when we walked into the club, I almost left. Strip clubs aren't really my scene." I stopped when she snorted and covered her mouth.

"Sorry," she said as color filled her cheeks. "It's just, that was quite evident. You were so uncomfortable." I cleared my throat not sure how to respond to her observation and shifted in my seat before continuing.

"I'd been studying German culture, and I read that you don't refuse gifts. When they purchased the private dance as a gift, I couldn't refuse and risk the deal falling through. You came in and even though you looked extremely familiar, I didn't know it was you. I didn't know it was you when I left, and I didn't know it was you when I got home." I let out a long breath. "A few weeks later, Jasper and Alice asked me over for dinner. Alice had been redecorating, so I was looking at some photos she'd hung and…there you were.

"You were younger, happier and healthier, but it was you." I shook my head as I recalled that moment of realization. "I asked Jasper about the photo and he told me it was of Alice and her friend Bella from college, the one that saved Alice. I'd heard the story, a watered-down version of it I'm sure. I knew Alice had been abducted along with a friend, that the friend had saved Alice but never gotten away herself. I knew Alice and her friend's father spent months searching but after that the authorities ended the search. Eventually, Alice stopped looking, but she never forgave herself for it. I made some excuse, I think about work, and left as quickly as I could. I didn't know what to think, but I knew I needed to make 100% sure it was you before I brought anyone else in on what I knew.

"I was scheduled to return to Germany in November and decided to confront you." I paused thinking back to that month between discovering Bella's identity and my return trip to Germany. She was all I could think about. I spent many nights agonizing over what I would do if it were truly her. "You know how that went. After you came to the hotel, I flew back home and immediately called my aunt and uncle. I knew they could help or at least get the right people involved. Because I'd made contact and was already 'in', they allowed me to be involved. I was ready, Bella." I implored her to understand. I wanted to get her that instant. She watched me with little emotion on her face. She was so hard to read sometimes. "I was ready to fly back, put you on a plane, and bring you home. They told me it didn't work that way though. You were in Germany, and being international made it even more complex.

"They had to involve INTERPOL which took time. Once the INTERPOL team was assembled, a plan had to be formed. They then constructed an alias for me. I don't know what all that involved, but it took forever. Then we found out an agency had someone that had been planted on the inside months before and was working his way up in the organization. Therefore, we had to pull his commanding officer into the team. They made plans, _goodness_, they planned forever. I was ready to pull my hair out. Then when the plans were finalized, and I thought we were ready to make our move, they had to train me.

"I was so naïve, Bella." I huffed at my own ignorance back then. "I thought I could just walk it and walk out with you. I was so stupid. I'm so glad I thought to involve my family. I could have gotten you killed if I tried anything on my own. Finally, though, they said it was time. But then you weren't there." I closed my eyes as the panic I felt back then resurfaced and my fists clenched. "You were just gone, Bella. I was terrified. We were all so terrified.

"I went back to the club, but you weren't on stage. I requested you for a dance and was told you weren't working. I left and reported back to Agent Acker. He told me to lay low and not draw attention to myself. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. For three months, Bella, we wondered where you were. We didn't know if were in Berlin, if you'd been sold, or if you were…dead." I felt her hand wrap around mine and opened my eyes to see her looking at me with sympathy. "March 16th, I'll never forget it. Agent Acker said it was the last attempt. I could go back to the club one last time to look for you. If you weren't there, my involvement in the case would end. I prayed for the first time in a very long time, Bella. I prayed you'd be there. And you were." I turned my hand over and squeezed hers. "I was so beside myself with relief; I had to see you.

"I came back to the dressing room, and something was wrong. We fought, and you told me you couldn't be booked off-site for a month which just completely messed with our plan." She withdrew her hand from mine and looked at me in utter confusion.

"I don't remember that."

"You don't?" She shook her head. "You were…off. I'm not sure what was going on. I was very worried about you." She shrugged and looked away, so I continued my story. "I had to talk to the team, regroup and rework our timetable. I left you there and went back to our command center to strategize." Bella grabbed her water bottle for another drink. I drank my own, my throat dry from both talking and the emotions of recounting the tale. "They told me we had to wait the month. If I pushed to book you earlier, it would raise too much suspicion. So, I flew home and waited.

"Finally, after what felt like far too long, I flew back and we put the plan in motion. You scared me when you told me about the tracker, but Mya, one of the team members, showed me how to take it out. I was so nervous I was going to hurt you.

"Most of the team was there that day. They were stationed around the city. They knew what the organization members looked like and were strategically placed. That way if for some reason they discovered you were missing before we were gone, they could stall the search. It worked." I took her hand in mine as tears spilled over her lids and onto her cheeks. "That's why I waited though. I had to. It wasn't just me. There were professionals involved. There was, _there is, _a whole investigation into the organization that had you. If it had been just me, I would have taken you immediately. But admittedly, that probably would have gotten both of us killed. Those were the longest seven months of my life, Bella. It doesn't compare to what you went through though. I hope you can forgive me." A sob broke through her lips as she rose onto her knees and crawled toward me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, crawled into my lap, and wrapped her whole body around mine.

"No. I can only thank you."

* * *

**AN 05/01/2019: Was Edward's story what you expected? A few still thought he was FBI, undercover, or something related to that. I hope you're not disappointed to find out that wasn't the case. He had a great team working with him. We see that Edward struggled, very much so, with not being able to get her sooner. We also see here that he's recounting things that Bella doesn't remember. Why do you think that's so? And did you expect her response when she finally heard his story? Let me know your thoughts and theories. **


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_If it had been just me, I would have taken you immediately. But admittedly, that probably would have gotten both of us killed. Still, I'm so very sorry it took us so long. I hope you can forgive me." A sob broke through her lips as she rose onto her knees and crawled toward me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, crawled into my lap, and wrapped her whole body around mine. _

"_No. I can only thank you."_

* * *

Bella had gone to the bathroom fifteen minutes ago to freshen up after her tears had finally dried. She surprised me when she wasn't upset about how long it took for us to rescue her from that horrible place. I was upset with the team for a long time about their slow-moving progress. I expected Bella to be furious. She wasn't though. She was just grateful to be out of there. I was thankful she could see the positive, but I wasn't fully there yet. Garrett, my therapist I'd been seeing since I became involved in the case, was still helping me work through my feelings over all of this.

I was in the kitchen heating a snack when she returned. Her eyes were still puffy. I could see that she'd splashed water on her face, and she'd secured her hair on the top of her head in a messy bun. That coupled with her black leggings, oversized sweatshirt, and bare feet in my home was the most appealing image. I had to rein in my hormones. The ding from the microwave broke my gawking before she could catch me, so I turned and pulled the bowl from inside and sprinkled the salt on before setting it on the corner of the island.

"Is that edamame?" Bella asked as her eyes lit up. I smiled and nodded as I popped one in my mouth. She smiled widely and took one as well. She closed her eyes as she savored the taste of the soybean and salt. "This is so good." I let the silence stretch over the next several minutes as we shared the snack and just enjoyed the moment, but I knew I needed to ask her about the tattoo like Esme had requested. Finally, when the bowl was almost empty, I worked up the courage.

"Bella, I need to ask you something," I said cautiously. She had been leaning on her elbows looking more casual than I had seen her in quite a while, but at my tone, she stood ramrod straight and regarded me warily. "It's about the investigation." She crossed her arms in a defensive manner. "Esme called me today and asked that I speak to you. She said that you haven't felt comfortable speaking with Agent Acker, and that's understandable. No one wants to force you to do anything. If you're comfortable talking with me though, I'm here, and I'm willing to listen. I want to help you, Bella."

"It's about the tattoo, isn't it?" she asked quietly. I nodded. "Which one?" That startled me a bit, because I wasn't aware there was more than one.

"The barcode." She immediately reached up and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Why does that matter? I got that the first week I was taken. It has nothing to do with the organization they're investigating. I've told them time and time again that it. Does. Not. Matter." She was pacing the small space between the window and kitchen island, so I remained silent as she released her pent-up anger. Eventually, she stopped and looked at me. "Why? Why is this important?"

"This investigation is more than just for the organization that had you last. The task force Esme and Carlisle work with are trying to stop human trafficking. That means the people that took you, the people that sold you, and the people that used you." Her breath hitched. "We want justice for you. If that tattoo helps us find the bastards that were involved in any part of this, we want to learn about it." She bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. "We care about you. We want to help you in absolutely any way that we can, and we think this can help." I moved to wash the dish while I let her think over what I'd said. By the time I had dried the bowl and placed it back in the cabinet, she looked ready to talk.

"They say he'll kill anyone that talks." Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper.

"You know we'll do everything in our power to bring him down and to protect you." I led her back to the couch, but this time I sat closer. I also took a blanket from the chair and draped it over her lap when I saw her shivering. "Tell me what you're comfortable telling me."

"There are relatively few men in the world that make it their life's work to abduct us. The abduction part of the business is dangerous. First, you have to hire the right men. They have to be skilled, stealthy, and able to blend in. Most are ex-military, mercenaries, or more likely, those that flunked out. They've received special training but hold some kind of grudge.

"The abduction itself takes coordination and great risk. You have to have many law enforcement personnel on your payroll so that when, not if but when, you get caught, you can get out of a jamb. We're talking local law enforcement, state, and federal. That's why it's such a successful business.

"Those men that decide to go into the abduction business, they develop a brand. When we're taken by these men, we're branded. This assures future buyers that the merchandise is clean. The buyer can rest assured that we're not a plant, we're not being followed, we're not undercover agents and not a risk." I was sick to my stomach. A product; she was speaking about herself as if she were a product. These monsters were the worst of humankind. "So as soon as the plane landed in Russia from Seattle, we were branded. Typically, they just sent photos for his records, but he flew to Russia for some reason. I was told he didn't usually inspect the merchandise. He did, though. It was the first time…the first time I realized I wasn't going home." She closed her eyes and bit down hard as her lip quivered. I remained silent not just because I didn't want to rush her, but because fury was boiling in my veins. How could anyone do this? "He was there for that auction. He didn't purchase anyone, but he watched." She stopped to shiver, and when she opened her eyes, they were unfocused. "I'll never forget those eyes." My heart stopped. She'd seen him. She knew what he looked like.

"Do you know his name?"

"It's forever on my body." She turned until I could see the tattoo. It looked like a barcode you would see at the grocery store complete with numbers at the bottom of the vertical lines. The closer I looked, the more I could see distinct spaces between the numbers. 1 18 12 15. "The first section is his name. Numbers equal letters. A equals 1, B equals 2, etc." At the end of those four numbers was a divider. "Second section is location. It denotes where we were taken from."

"33?"

"The order the states were admitted to the union. Oregon was the 33rd state."

"Third section is the year you were taken." She nodded. "What's the fourth?" 126.

"Batch number. 126th person taken that year."

Without thinking, I reached up and ran a finger over the marked skin. She sucked in a breath and jerked away at the same time. I inwardly cursed myself as she stood dropping the blanket to the floor.

"Bella, I'm sorry." She reached for the hair tie and yanked it violently until her hair fell loose covering the tattoo from view.

"I'd like to go now." I closed my eyes as remorse filled me. I hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable.

"I'll let Phillip know." I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted him to bring the car around. She was already slipping her shoes on and retrieving her jacket. I stood and made my way to the front door. "I'll walk-"

"No, I'm fine." She pulled the door open quickly. "I'll see you. Thank you for tonight." Her eyes didn't meet mine as she called for the elevator by repeatedly pushing the button. I hung my head in defeat and internally kicked myself. One step forward, two steps back. As soon as the doors closed, I called the front desk and waited for an answer.

"This is Edward," I greeted. "Ms. Swan is on her way down. My driver Phillip is picking her up. Please ensure she reaches the car safely."

"Yes, Mr. Masen."

"Thank you, John."

* * *

**AN 05/04/2019: Happy Star Wars Day! (Thought we could use some levity after that chapter. We learned about the tattoo, and it's basically what most of you thought. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right answer. Pretty bold/stupid for that guy to put his name on her. Maybe this will be helpful to the investigation. Poor Edward scared her there at the end, or rather made her very uncomfortable. A few of you have mentioned Bella getting the tattoo removed. Honestly, that's something I'm still toying with. What are your thoughts about that? **


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_This is Edward Masen," I greeted. "Ms. Swan is on her way down. My driver Phillip is picking her up. Please ensure she reaches the car safely."_

"_Yes, Mr. Masen."_

"_Thank you, John."_

* * *

Sleep that night eluded me. I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with Bella and how I'd upset her afterwards. I knew better than to touch her without her realizing it, but it had been instinctual. I wanted to wipe it away. Not the tattoo; I knew that wasn't possible. I wanted to wipe away the hurt, the memories. I wanted to replace the bad with something good. I'd startled her though, and I wanted to apologize for my actions. It'd kept me up through the night, then work the next day was unsurprisingly a nightmare. My lack of sleep put me in an irritable mood from the start.

The meeting with Mr. Elliott wasn't as bad as it could have been. I would be surprised if he didn't have concerns about the research and development department after the acquisition was complete. It was the most unstable department within his organization with the lowest ROI which for most would probably mean dissolution. However, the pharmaceutical sales company had some promising researchers on staff. They just needed better guidance. The VP he had on staff wasn't cutting it and would need to be let go. Once we had the right leadership in place, I wholeheartedly believed we'd see a different outcome from the department within the next two to three years.

My exit meeting with Sophia did not, however, go as planned. I was surprised to learn that she had been "checked out" for quite some time. She wasn't able to tell me how her department was doing with most of the assigned projects they'd been working on for the past few months. Apparently, her retirement had begun sooner than when she'd actually left the company which was rather disappointing. I berated myself for not having seen it sooner. Though it did make me feel good about the staff I had in place underneath her as I didn't really see a decline in their performance overall. However, that meant I needed to keep a closer watch on my VPs in general, so I talked to Sandy about scheduling regular update meetings for all VPs moving forward on a monthly basis. We could increase or scale back in the future depending on how those went.

My lunch interview with Genevieve Arnette had been a waste. Her portfolio had been promising, but the interview had fallen flat. It was a situation where the candidate was perfect on paper, but she couldn't think on her feet. She was not a good fit for MC Inc. That meant back to the drawing board, but I also had an idea niggling at the back of my mind I needed to mull over. Before I could do that though, I was scheduled to meet with Agent Acker at the office. I'd taken Genevieve to the Country Club, so it wasn't long before I was back at. He was waiting for me when I arrived. I checked my watch afraid that I was late for our appointment.

"I'm early, Edward," he assured me.

"Come on in, Garren," I greeted. "Sandy, Genevieve's a no. Can you file her information away with HR?"

"Yes, Mr. Masen. Can I get you two anything to drink? Water? Coffee?"

"Water would be great, ma'am," Agent Acker said with a smile as I led him into my office. I motioned to the chair in front of my desk as I sat heavily with a sigh. "Are you okay?"

"It's just been a long day," I said with a rueful smile. There was a knock at the door before Esme stuck her head inside surprising me.

"I ran into Sandy, and she said you just started you meeting with Garren, so I told her we'd let ourselves in," she said as she and Carlisle came inside pulling chairs toward the desk. "I hope you don't mind that we invited ourselves to this meeting. We've been discussing next steps in the investigation and decided it may be best to discuss it with everyone present rather than relaying it in pieces." Another knock sounded from the door. Suspecting it was Sandy, I called for the person to enter. Sandy came in with a tray of drinks. She handed a water bottle to Carlisle and Agent Acker before setting a hot tea in front of Esme then placed a coffee in front of me.

"You look like you could use it," she said pointedly. "Would you like me to confirm or cancel your appointment with Ms. Jensen at 4:00? It's tentative at the moment."

"Cancel, please. I'd like to reschedule for later in the week. Thursday if it's available. Also, could you schedule an interview with the next VP candidate, um, uh, Jenna."

"Jenna Bonshire. Any particular day?" She picked up the tray and stopped at the door.

"Friday if she's available. If not, then early next week."

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you, Sandy." She smiled before leaving the office and closing the door behind her.

"Special Agents Cullen said you were going to speak with Ms. Swan about the barcode tattoo," the agent said getting straight to business.

"Yes, I did speak with her." I took a sip of the coffee. I hoped the caffeine hit my system soon for a much-needed boost. "By the way, I didn't realize she had more than one tattoo." Esme nodded as a look of sadness settled on her face. "Anyway, we spoke." I took the piece of paper from my pocket and slid it across the desk toward Garren. He opened it up as they all looked it over. "It's a name." I knew what they were looking at. _1=A 18__=R 12=L 15=O _"Then it's the state she was taken from, the year, and the last means she was the 126th taken that year." Esme gasped.

"So many," she whispered.

"A name. I knew it!" Carlisle exclaimed. He pulled the paper closer. "Arlo. It's a start. Does she remember a last name? Maybe that is the last name."

"I upset her, so there wasn't much of a conversation about his name. She told me about the branding, how that…_business_ works. She said she got it as soon as they deplaned in Russia before the auction. She said Arlo was there, but-"

"Russia?"

"He was there?"

"She's seen him?"

"What auction?"

"Whoa! One at a time." They were talking over each other.

"Start from the beginning," Agent Acker said. I recounted my conversation for them, every excruciating detail. Just like last night, it left me feeling sick to my stomach. When I finished, they sat there for a moment silently.

"Didn't you know this?" They shook their heads.

"I told you when we ask about the tattoo, she tends to shut down," Esme said. "You've gotten more from her in one evening than we have in months."

"It wasn't without it's price." I'm sure they could hear the bitterness behind my words.

"We now have a concrete lead we can investigate though. We have so much we can work, Edward." Esme's smile was blinding. "Russia. We may need to consider contacting the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. I'm getting ahead of myself though. I think we work on Arlo first. He may be American. I think we need to speak with Bella since she's seen him, possibly spoken with him. Perhaps she can give us more details on the man."

"Please don't push her," I pleaded. "I upset her, Esme. We did not separate last night on good terms. She was very unsettled by our conversation, and she's also very upset with us in general. She's been dealing with something these last few months that came to a head last night that I suspect has been the real reason behind her resistance with the investigation. Give her time and space. She will come to you when she's ready. I'm begging you; please do not push her."

"What is it?" I shook my head. I would not betray her confidence more than necessary.

"She'll tell you when she's ready." She nodded reluctantly and smiled as she pulled the paper with the decoded name into her hand.

"Mark my words, Sweet Boy." She held the paper up. "This is going to break the case. I just know it."

* * *

**AN 05/08/2019: Poor Edward. He's pretty tore up about what he did to Bella, and it bled into his next day. Isn't that the worst - when a bad situation seems to bleed into other parts of your life? A big thing this chapter is the team/investigation learning many new things about Bella's time during captivity. There are so many leads for them to follow now, more than just the name Arlo. We'll have a bit of a time jump next chapter. Hope y'all are ready to move ahead a bit. **

**I'll be out of town this weekend. With that being said, please don't be upset if I don't get an update out on Saturday. I'm going to try, but I don't know if I'll have good reception. **

**On another note, to the guest reviewer that keeps correcting my grammar/spelling, please don't think you need to hide behind a 'guest' status. I appreciate when people help me with stuff like that as long as they don't get nasty about it. I've gone back and corrected those things you pointed out. Feel free to sign in and/or send me a message. **


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_She'll tell you when she's ready." She nodded reluctantly and smiled as she pulled the paper with the decoded name into her hand. _

"_Mark my words, Sweet Boy." She held the paper up. "This is going to break the case. I just know it."_

* * *

The holidays were rough. A week later, Thanksgiving was upon us. I wanted to invite Bella to dinner with my family, but she hadn't been taking my calls yet. I'd royally screwed up, and I had no intention of pushing her. She would text me, but phone calls went unanswered. I left her a message letting her know she was welcome for dinner. I didn't expect her to come though. Not only did she not want to see me, but she wasn't too keen on large groups yet either. I wasn't surprised when she chose to spend the holiday at Emmett and Rosalie's with Charlie and Sue.

A few days later, I was in a meeting with Sandy when my cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen and was shocked to see it was Bella. Sandy, ever observant, left my office quietly so I could take the call. It was short, but I'd take what I could get. She asked about my holiday and briefly told me about hers. Then she ended the conversation with a promise that we'd speak again soon. Within a few weeks, we were back to our normal routine.

Christmas had been nerve-racking. I'd wanted to spend it with Bella, but she'd been talking with Jeanine about the possibility of going to Charlie's. The thought of going back to Forks, to the house where she grew up, scared Bella. Charlie didn't live there anymore though. When Bella disappeared, Charlie poured everything he had into finding her, which included selling the house. He now lived with Sue on the reservation, and Bella thought it was far enough removed from Forks that she might be able to visit. Charlie had called me at the beginning of December to ask how Bella really felt about it not realizing we weren't on the best terms, and his excitement was palpable. I told him to let Bella take the lead in the matter and not to push.

The visit didn't go as well as we'd hoped. Emmett and Rosalie took her to La Push, because I couldn't get out of a meeting at work. The plan was to go up there late on the 23rd, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrating with them, then come back the next day. On Christmas Eve, just as our family was sitting down to dinner at 6:00pm, I got a call from Bella. I was excited to be able to talk to her since I thought I wouldn't hear from her until she returned.

"Aunt Esme," I waved the phone to get her attention. "It's Bella. I'm going to take this, if that's okay."

"Go, go," she said with a smile on her face. I answered it as I stepped into the living room.

"Hey there. I'm so glad to hear from you today." I was met with silence on the other end. "Bella?" I pulled it from my ear to check that the call hadn't been disconnected. It showed she was on the other end of the line. "Bella, are you there?" I began to wonder if her phone was in her pocket and she dialed me by accident, so I started to listen for any conversation.

"He-ey," she finally said, but her voice was clogged with emotion. She cleared her throat, and I was immediately on alert.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I just-" She took a shuddering breath. My heart took off in a sprint.

"Are you okay? Are you safe?"

"Yes." I took a deep breath to try and calm myself.

"You can tell me anything, you know." I took a seat on the couch and remained silent letting her bring herself under control.

"I failed."

"Failed what?"

"I couldn't stay." It broke my heart to hear a sob break through. "I wanted to – to stay there, but I ju – just couldn't. I had to come back to Seattle." I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew how much this trip had meant to her.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." She sniffled. "You didn't fail though. You went. You spent a night there. That's great progress. You did great."

"It doesn't feel that way." I leaned back into the couch with a sigh.

"You put so much on yourself. Don't focus so much on the negative that you forget about the positive. This is a win. Don't forget that." She let out a long, deep breath.

"I guess." I smiled at her reluctant agreement.

"Did you enjoy the time you had with your father and Sue?"

"3.8 stars." I smiled. "He seems very happy there with her." I hummed in agreement. "The longer I stayed, though, the more paranoid I felt. I couldn't take it anymore."

"And that's okay. I promise they aren't upset that you came back. They're just happy to see you." I sat forward when an idea struck me. "Are you at Emmett and Rosalie's?"

"Yes. We got back about thirty minutes ago."

"We were just about to sit down to dinner. Why don't I come get you? You can spend the evening with us."

"That's a very kind offer, but I don't feel like socializing right now. I'm a mess."

"What if I come over and keep you company?" I didn't want her to be alone in this.

"Edward, no. You need to be there with your family. Maybe we can get together tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I really just want to crawl in bed right now. Thank you for taking my call though. And thank you for what you said. You always have the right words."

"I'm here for you, Bella; whenever you need."

I returned to the table, but no one asked about the call. I saw Esme look at me with a curiousness in her eye, but she didn't ask any questions. After Carlisle said grace, we dug into the incredible meal. I enjoyed the conversation around me, but part of my mind stayed on Bella. I hated that she was having such a difficult time during the holiday. Hopefully she'd feel like company tomorrow. I would like very much to spend Christmas Day with her. I was brought out of my thoughts by Jasper clearing his throat in an intentional way.

"I'm glad we're all here together," he said as he reached over and grabbed Alice's hand. She smiled widely at him. "Because Alice and I would like to share some news." Esme squealed then covered her mouth ushering him to continue. "As Mom seems to have already figured out, we're pregnant." I smiled at the happy news as Esme jumped up and ran around the table to pull Alice into a hug. Carlisle, smiling widely, walked more calmly around the table to hug Jasper. Once the grandparents-to-be were done congratulating the parents-to-be, I pulled Jasper into a hug.

"I'm so happy for you, cousin," I told him genuinely. I then hugged Alice. "Congratulations, Alice. You're going to make a great mom."

"Thank you," she said quietly and we all sat back down in our seats. The conversation turned to due date, names, and all things baby. "Edward." I turned to see Alice looking at me nervously. "Jasper and I were wondering if you'd do us a favor."

"For Jasper, no way. For you, anything." She chuckled as Jasper threw up his middle finger which Esme scolded him for. "What is it, Alice?"

"We want to tell Bella, but I'm not sure how she'll take it. Will you be there when we do?"

"Of course, I will." She thanked me, and my mind immediately began conjuring up scenes of how that would go. I understood their concern. This was big news and would be quite a change for Bella to deal with. It was quite a change for anyone. Bella's emotions were amplified though after her return. I could see that Alice was concerned for her friend, but she wanted to share her happy news. "It'll be okay, Alice. She'll be happy for you." She bit her lip.

"I sure hope so."

* * *

**AN 05/11/2019: So we've moved a little over a month and a half from last chapter. Bella had a rough time getting back in with Edward, but when things got tough, he's the one she turned to. Did y'all ever think about if Bella would be able to return home? Are you surprised with what happened? It's not exactly home, but it's pretty darn close. And happy news for Alice/Jasper, but they're concerned about how Bella will handle it. How do you think she'll respond? Should they be concerned? **


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"For Jasper, no way. For you, anything." She chuckled as Jasper threw up his middle finger which Aunt Esme scolded him for. "What is it, Alice?"_

_"We want to tell Bella, but I'm not sure how she'll take it. Will you be there when we do?"_

_"Of course, I will." She thanked me, and my mind immediately began conjuring up scenes of how that would go. I understood their concern. This was big news and would be quite a change for Bella to deal with. It was quite a change for anyone. Bella's emotions were amplified though after her return. I could see that Alice was concerned for her friend, but she wanted to share her happy news though. "It'll be okay, Alice. She'll be happy for you." She bit her lip._

_"I sure hope so."_

* * *

Bella was doing her best to be in the moment and excited for Alice and Jasper as they shared their big news. I'd convinced Bella to have Christmas Day dinner with me at Bainbridge. When I called Mrs. Spencer the night before to wish her Merry Christmas, she'd asked about my plans. When I told her Bella, Jasper, and Alice were coming over that evening, she said she would bring food to the house. I tried to assure her we would be okay, but she was insistent. She'd dropped off a roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions just thirty minutes before everyone was scheduled to arrive. I had asked her and Mr. Spencer to join us, but her children were in town to see her.

Alice had shared the news as we were finishing our meals, and it was obvious Bella didn't know how to react. She congratulated them both and smiled as Alice talked about their house hunt. Both she and Jasper loved living on the houseboat, but both agreed it was not a place to raise a child. They wanted a home where they wouldn't have to constantly worry about watching their child so the baby wouldn't fall into the water. They were still trying to decide if they would sell the houseboat or rent it out for additional income.

As the night wore on, Bella grew quieter and quieter. She tried to remain engaged, but I could see her drawing further into herself. Within an hour after dinner, Jasper and Alice decided to leave. Alice gave the excuse that since she'd become pregnant, she became tired earlier in the day. I think she knew Bella needed time alone to process what she'd learned. Bella congratulated them once again and waved to them from the door as they left then walked back to the kitchen and began cleaning up. I waited until they were out of the drive then closed the gate.

"Are you okay?" I asked Bella as I moved to stand beside her at the sink as she handwashed the dishes.

"Mmm hmm," she said without turning to look at me. I took a clean dish towel from the drawer and began drying once she'd rinsed then put them away. I stayed silent giving her time to be truthful with me. I knew her. I knew she wasn't okay. After at least five minutes of silence, I realized she wasn't going to break first. I tossed the towel on the counter and stopped to stand beside her.

"Bella, don't do that."

"What?" she asked innocently but I saw the crinkle at the corner of her eyes and the slight furrow between her brows. "I am." Her voice was strained and slightly higher than usual. She stopped washing and turned to look at me. I'd never seen her so vulnerable other than when we first returned to the states.

"You can be honest with me."

"I am telling the truth. I am. I am happy for her." I remained silent and just watched as she stared back with fear evident in her eyes. "This is what she wants. This is what she always wanted." As her voice quivered, my heart hurt for her. "She talked about having a family the second week I knew her. This is what she wants. I want her to have what she wants."

"You don't have to pretend. Not with me. Never with me." Her chest rose rapidly as she fought to control her emotion. "You're safe here. Feel whatever you're feeling. It's not wrong. You're not wrong."

"I-" She released a shuddering breath and her shoulders hunched forward as she seemed to shrink further into herself. "I truly am happy for her. I'm just…I'm so terrified." Unable to look at her in this state without touching her, I reached forward and pulled her hand into mine. She gripped it with punishing strength. "What if she's taken? What if - they'll - she can't - I just know-"

She trembled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into me. I led her to the couch and sat us side-by-side. I was surprised when she pulled her legs onto the couch, turned toward me, and buried her face in my chest. I held her to me gently. There were still moments when she was reluctant to seek comfort since her return.

"That's a valid concern. It's okay to worry about that." I'd talked to Carlisle and Esme then on their advice, I talked to Garrett too, my therapist I'd been seeing since my return to the states with Bella, about this specific conversation and how to navigate it. I wanted to make sure she understood she could feel whatever she felt, but I didn't want to let her despair about it either. "I think it's something all parents worry about in a roundabout way. You have a more intimate knowledge of the risks, so you feel it more deeply. But do you know what's good about that?" She looked up at me in bewilderment.

"Good?"

"You can help her, or him; teach them about being aware of their surroundings, educate them about protecting themselves. You're getting pretty good with those self-defense lessons. Help them learn those techniques when they're older." My words seemed to resonate with her as she sat in silence contemplating. Eventually she pulled back and looked at me with a sigh.

"Am I being stupid? Is this something a real person doesn't think about?"

"Bella." My frustration was evident, and I immediately tried to rein it in. Often, she spoke of herself this way, as if she weren't real or valid. It broke my heart, but I'd been warned to tread carefully. This was something she would probably struggle with for years if not the rest of her life. "You are not stupid. You are one of the smartest people I know." I wasn't surprised when she looked away. Compliments were difficult for her. "And you are very real. Your concern is very real. I think others think about this, but not to the extent that you do. They just don't understand it the way you do."

"All I can see is the baby growing up and being ripped away from her world."

"I see her growing up to be a strong, capable woman that will be a force to be reckoned with. Having you and Alice in her life," I chuckled, "she's got no chance for anything else. You two are very special people, and you'll make sure that she's just as special if not more." She looked away. "Alice is going to make an amazing mother, and you are going to be a phenomenal aunt. Just watch. I know what I'm talking about." I was happy to see a small smile spread across her face. "Come on. I've got ice cream." She finally looked over with a little excitement in her eyes.

"Molly Moon's?" She was adorable when she talked about dessert.

"Honey Lavender _and _Earl Grey." She stood.

"You spoil me." She reached for my hand, and I took it. My plans to spoil her far exceeded mere ice cream. She just didn't know it yet.

* * *

**AN 05/15/2019: This was a heavy topic/feelings for Bella, but I see it as progress. Edward was there for her, talked her through it, and she recognized that maybe she could look at this differently that what was her first reaction. Do you see it that way? Then in the end, Edward got a smile out of her! You're going to see a shift from here on out in these two that I hope you like. *Eeeek* So excited for what's to come. Also, I hope y'all are checking out my Facebook page on Tuesdays and Fridays. I post teasers (pictures and text) for the chapter coming out the next day. **


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Alice is going to make an amazing mother, and you are going to be a phenomenal aunt. Just watch. I know what I'm talking about." I was happy to see a small smile spread across her face. "Come on. I've got ice cream." She finally looked over with a little excitement in her eyes. _

"_Molly Moon's?" She was adorable when she talked about dessert. _

"_Honey Lavender _and_ Earl Grey." She stood. _

"_You spoil me." She reached for my hand, and I took it. My plans to spoil her far exceeded mere ice cream. She just didn't know it yet._

* * *

For the first time in years, I found myself frustrated with Sandy. The feeling was mutual though. I could hear her huffing and muttering to herself outside my office. She had stepped out five minutes ago when I yelled at her.

"Steven, can you please go to printing and bring me the proofs for Arthur's campaign?"

"Yes, Mr. Masen," he said and hurried away. His relief was evident. He didn't know how to handle the disagreement between Sandy and me. I turned to where she was pacing and took a deep breath.

"Sandy." She turned to me with a look that would wither a weaker man. To be honest, it withered me a bit. "I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly before opening her eyes to meet mine. I'm not sure what she saw, but based on how her ire cooled, I hoped she saw my sincerity. I felt guilty for how I'd reacted. "I shouldn't have yelled at you; you didn't deserve that. It was me that asked for your help, and I value your opinion. Will you come back in so we can finish this conversation?" She dropped her hands from where they were resting on her hips and brushed past me to take her seat across from my desk. I walked inside shutting the door before heading for my chair.

"I don't know why you're even asking me," she said as she typed away on her tablet. "I mean, you have an assistant. Why not make him do this?" The smile that bloomed on her face couldn't be contained.

"Don't make me regret promoting you." She laughed heartily.

"Don't hate on the guy. He's very qualified, and I think he will soon prove you made a very wise decision."

"Promoting you to VP of Client Relations was one of my wisest decisions." She smiled but wouldn't meet my eyes. "And one of the worst, because I don't know how to run my own life sometimes." She laughed again. "I'm still working with Steven; it'll get better." I raised my hands.

"Honestly, he's doing well so far. I never doubted you." She scoffed.

"Back to business. There are only six days left before Valentine's Day, and you haven't arranged plans or a gift for your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend." I tried to sound indifferent, but this was Sandy. She flicked her hand in my direction.

"Semantics." I looked back to my computer where I was browsing websites for date ideas…but not a date. Because she wasn't my girlfriend. She was just a friend. A very important friend. The woman I loved. That thought drew me up short for a moment. Love. Honestly, I did love Bella. I'd probably loved her since the first time I saw her once I knew who she was. It was too early to tell her though. I would be what she needed, and right now that was a friend. Just a friend. For now. Hopefully. Maybe. "So, dinner's a given. You'll be hard-pressed to find a nice place that still has a table available though."

"I could call-"

"You are not taking her to the County Club." How did she do that?

"If I could cook a fancy meal, I'd just have her over to Bainbridge. She loves the place." She huffed in frustration. "I need this to be 5 stars." She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Wait. What if you hire a private chef to cook?" I sat forward with my elbows on the desk.

"I like this idea."

"Do you have heaters for the back deck? She loves the water; it would be nice to be able to eat out there."

"I think it's too cold even with heaters." That sparked an idea though. Bella absolutely loved the water. Rosalie said she often found Bella out on the boat dock, and when she visited Bainbridge, she sat on the patio as much as possible – said it was peaceful. We were interrupted by a knock at the door, and I invited the person in.

"Here are the proofs, Mr. Masen," Steven said as he walked in and handed me the documents. "I also have Ms. Swan on line two."

"Thank you, Steven." He nodded once. When he turned to walk away, I stopped him. "Can you find me a private chef that's available Thursday night? I understand it's very little notice, but I'll compensate them accordingly. Once you have them, let me know."

"My work here is done," Sandy said triumphantly and stood gathering her things. "I'll be in my office if you need me again."

"Thank you, Sandy. I don't know what I'd do without you." She winked at me.

"And you best not forget it." I smiled and waited until she closed the door behind her before answering the phone.

"Hi, Bella."

"Hi!" I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Am I interrupting?"

"Of course not." I sat back in my chair. "How are classes?"

"Brutal." She huffed. "Well, you know what I mean. It's just difficult getting back into the swing of things. But that's not why I called. I talked to my dad today, and he's coming into the city next week for a few days." Her excitement was evident. "He and Sue are coming in to celebrate the holiday, which is so weird by the way. That's not the dad I remember from before." Before and after; it's how she talked in terms of her life. Before and after the abduction and following captivity. "He always made sure I knew he loved me, but this demonstrative side of him, it's just new. But I'm glad for it. I love seeing him with Sue. He's so loving and…_showy._ I don't know what he was like with my mom since they divorced long before I could remember, but he was always…a man's man. Anyway, I digress." I smiled and she giggled. I enjoyed hearing her so carefree for even a short moment. "They're coming to town next weekend and want to have dinner with me on Thursday." My heart sank. I guess I could stop Steven from trying to find a chef. "I, uh." I was surprised to hear her tone go hesitant. "I, uh, told him I would check with you. I thought you might…" I waited with bated breath. "I thought you might have something planned for us." I took a second to respond so I wouldn't sound too enthusiastic.

"I was actually just trying to finalize something before I asked if you had plans."

"I don't." Her quick response made me smile. "But…I also want to spend time with my dad."

"Why don't you have him and Sue join us?" I would have loved to spend the time alone with Bella, but I reminded myself she wasn't my girlfriend. I didn't want to do anything that would push her too fast. I could do dinner with her and her father. Plus, Sue would be there.

"Are you sure that would be okay?" She sounded hesitantly optimistic.

"Anything for you." And I meant every word. She squealed, and making her that happy filled me with warmth.

"What do I tell them then, about Thursday?"

"Tell them we're having dinner and to be at Bainbridge by 4:00pm."

"Isn't that a little early?"

"Trust me." There was a beat of silence.

"With my life."

* * *

**AN 05/18/2019: All together now..._awwwwww_. These two...they make me smile. First though - Sandy. If you saw the pictease, did that worry you? I know, I'm evil. But did you catch that she's now a VP? A few of you thought Edward would hire Bella, but he promoted Sandy instead. And now he has a new assistant, Stephen. Can anyone be as good as Sandy, though? **

**Then Bella...I mean, her attitude is not at all what we had up until now. But remember, following the timeline, it's been about six weeks since we last saw her. It was Christmas, and she seemed to have a moment. Edward helped her turn her thinking around. Plus, she's started classes now. That's got to give her a boost of self-confidence. She seems to be coming into her own. **

**And Edward! Our guy's in love! Like we didn't already know that though. Now that he's admitted it, we'll see if he's able to hold himself back and not rush her. **


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Anything for you." And I meant every word. She squealed, and making her that happy filled me with warmth. _

"_What do I tell them then, about Thursday?" _

"_Tell them we're having dinner and to be at Bainbridge by 4:00pm."_

"_Isn't that a little early?" _

"_Trust me." There was a beat of silence. _

"_With my life."_

* * *

Thursday morning, I met Mr. Elliott at the gym at 11:00am. I'd gone into the office early to ensure I could get enough work done beforehand. He'd insisted we play a round of racquetball with a few potential investors, and I couldn't find a good enough reason to bow out. I'd learned long ago that most deals were not made in the office. This was a necessary part of business. Luckily, Carter received a call from home and he had to leave for an emergency. We agreed to reschedule the game for the next week if possible.

Since it was 12:30, I called Steven to let him know I wouldn't be back into the office for the rest of the day. I headed home to shower and get ready for dinner that night. Tom Douglas, the chef, was coming to the house at 2:00 to begin prepping. I had just dressed after my shower when he rang from the gate. I buzzed him inside, thanked him once again for helping, and showed him to the kitchen. I offered to help him unload his vehicle, but he assured me he had everything under control. I went to my office and caught up on e-mails then called Kenzi, my CFO, to discuss the forecasts for the current quarter.

Time got away from me and when the buzzer rang, I checked the clock to see it was already 3:45pm. I answered the call to find Bella, her father, and Sue in her father's truck. I told them to come inside once they parked and wrapped up my call with Kenzi. I hurried to my room for a sports coat then made my way downstairs where I could hear Bella talking about the house. She had fallen in love with the place from the moment she was here, and it made me inordinately happy. Her father was closest when I turned the corner.

"Hello, Charlie," I greeted him. He smiled and shook my hand.

"Thanks for having us, Edward," he greeted.

When I dropped his hand, Sue leaned forward and kissed my cheek. My eyes were glued Bella though. She wore a sapphire dress that wrapped around her body snuggly with a tie on the side. Though it was conservative in today's standards, the neckline was wide enough to show her collarbones and rode low enough to show a hint of her cleavage with a diamond necklace. The dress brushed her knees, and matching flats adorned her feet. Her hair fell in large curls around her face, and I could see earrings that matched the necklace hanging delicately from her earlobes.

"Bella," I breathed at the vision in front of me. "You look stunning." Color rose in her cheeks, but she smiled widely as well. She stepped onto her tiptoes and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her tightly as she breathed deeply.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You look quite handsome yourself." Reluctantly, I pulled away when I heard her father quietly clear his throat. I took a step back and turned to Charlie whose face seemed to be a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"I'm so glad you all could make it. I hope you don't mind spending Valentines here. I know you'd probably rather be spending it alone."

"Nonsense," Sue said with a flick of her hand. "We're happy to be spending time with Bella, and you, of course." I smiled knowing that she was being completely truthful.

"Nice place you have here," Charlie said as he looked around.

"Bella, why don't you show them around while I check on dinner." She smiled widely.

"Is Mrs. Spencer cooking?" I shook my head with a smirk. She loved Mrs. Spencer dearly; well, Mrs. Spencer and her stories about me.

"Not tonight. I have a surprise for you." She rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the grin off her face.

"Come on, Dad, Sue. I'll show you around."

I went to the kitchen to check on Tom. He was in the process of transferring everything to the boat and looked to be almost finished. He'd needed to bake the cheesecake early and prep the shrimp, so I'd offered him the use of the kitchen so it would be closer. I told him we'd be out in the next 30 minutes. After ensuring he was able to transport everything and not need help, I went to find Bella. She was upstairs leaving the office and heading towards the guest room where she stayed on rare occasions.

"This is the guest room," she was saying as she walked them inside. "If I happen to miss the ferry, I stay here. It has the most beautiful view of the Sound." I stopped in the doorway and leaned against the doorjamb to watch her. She was so comfortable here, so at ease. There was no tension in her shoulders, and she wasn't constantly watching over her shoulder. It was a welcomed sight. Charlie was the first to spot me.

"This is a mighty big place for just you," he said, and I nodded.

"It is," I agreed. "I'm thinking longer term with this home. It's large enough for another two, maybe three people. When I was searching for a place, I bought with the thought of a wife and one or two children. I want a family eventually, so why not be ready for that from the beginning." He nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Whomever I'm lucky enough to marry, well, I hope they enjoy it." I tried to keep my eyes from wandering to Bella. "If she wants a large family, we'll start here then find a more suitable home." Sue sighed and grabbed Charlie's arm who cleared his throat.

"Well, that just leaves the kitchen, I guess," Sue said excitedly.

"And the cottage," Bella exclaimed. "They need to see the cottage too."

"Then let's grab our coats, we'll need them for dinner." She tilted her head and looked at me curiously. I just smiled at her and turned to head downstairs.

Sue was in love with the kitchen and dining area. She spent five minutes walking around running her hands over everything. She and Bella giggled together over some of the appliances while Charlie and I discussed the latest happenings in La Push. We'd been talking about whether or not to broach the idea with Bella of visiting the area again. However, this time, we wanted to suggest a one-day visit rather than an overnight trip. Before long, I felt Bella's hand wrap around my arm as she leaned against me filling me with warmth. She wanted to show her dad the cottage thinking he would love it.

"Niiice," Charlie said as he walked through the doors. Bella beamed. When I bought the place, I'd wanted to turn this place into a game room, and Aunt Esme insisted it be functional for guests. We'd compromised, and I'd placed a murphy bed in the corner, but the majority of the space was for the pool table, lounge area, a bathroom, and changing rooms for the hot tub just off the deck. "Now, this is a place worth spending time in." He took a seat on the couch and threw his arms behind his head. "All you need is a television to watch the game." I reached for a remote and pressed the button so that the painting above the fire place raised revealing the television behind it. He whistled and nodded in appreciation. "Sue, we should be visiting more often." She rolled her eyes.

"Actually, the Mariners' season opener is next week," I told him. He nodded. As a fan, he was well aware of their schedule. I'm not sure if you could get here on Friday, but I wondered if you wanted to watch the game on Saturday."

"That would be nice. I'll bring drinks. It's the least I can do if you're going to invite me to this man cave."

"Actually, I meant watch it from my company box." Charlie's eyes grew wide.

"At the field?" Bella snorted. "You mean _go_ to the game?" I nodded. "Hell yeah!"

"Charlie!"

"Dad!"

"Good." We both ignored the women's exclamations. "It's scheduled to start 12:10pm. Why don't we meet here at 11:00? I'll have the car pick us up by 11:15. That should give us enough time to get there and grab a bite to eat before first pitch."

"That's enough male bonding," Bella said, but I could hear her amusement. "It's Valentine's Day. What is this surprise you have planned?"

* * *

**AN 05/22/2019: Cute! Cute! Cute! It didn't matter that daddy was in the room; Edward wasn't toning anything down because of him. Did you like Charlie this chapter though? Ha! Then his reasoning behind the big house...*fans self* Yes, please, and thank you. ;D**

**So we didn't quite get to the surprise yet, but it's definitely up next chapter! You've already seen what it is, but how do you think she's going to react? Seems like she may be pretty open to the idea of a surprise though. **


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_At the field?" Bella snorted. "You mean go to the game?" I nodded. "Hell yeah!" _

"_Charlie!"_

"_Dad!"_

"_Good." We both ignored the women's exclamations. "It's scheduled to start 12:10pm. Why don't we meet here at 11:00? I'll have the car pick us up by 11:15. That should give us enough time to get there and grab a bite to eat before first pitch." _

"_That's enough male bonding," Bella said, but I could hear her amusement. "It's Valentine's Day. What is this surprise you have planned?"_

* * *

It was slightly breezy outside, and the sun was just starting to lower from the sky. We stood on the dock where Bella had stopped to peer up at the vessel in front of her. I'd told her we were having dinner on the yacht, and her face lit up. When I explained that we would anchor out in the Sound and watch sunset settle over Seattle, she'd hugged me tightly. I was so thankful for Sandy's wise words. Now, though, it seemed her excitement had cooled a bit which concerned me.

"So, let me get this straight," she finally said, causing both her father and Sue to tune into the conversation. "You have your house." She tossed her thumb behind her. "You also have your condo near work."

"Technically, that belongs to the company," I clarified.

"You have the Audi, the Vanquish, the Range Rover."

"The Range also belongs to the company." She raised her brow at me which only drew a smile from my lips that I tried but failed to stifle. I loved how her personality was shining through more and more lately. "Sorry. Please continue." I heard her father try to hide a chuckle as well.

"Then there's The Shimmer." Charlie titled his head as a look of confusion settle over his face. It was a spitting image of Bella. She truly took after her father.

"My sailboat," I clarified for him.

"The Pursuit."

"My speedboat." Charlie's eyes lit up.

"And now here's The Aurora."

"This yacht technically belongs to the company." Charlie whistled lowly, and Sue slapped his arm. "What can I say? I like my toys. You know I spend a majority of my time working. I don't take much time for myself; at least I haven't in the past. When I do, I want to enjoy it." I placed my hand on her back and gently urged her forward. "Come on. The sunset waits for no one." I helped her onto the deck then assisted Sue before motioning for Charlie to go ahead of me.

"Damn," he whispered under his breath once we ascended the stairs.

"You like?" The girls had walked inside the cabin.

"It's nice. Can't do much fishing from it though." I smiled at his comment. It was true; this vessel wasn't equipped for fishing. If that's what he wanted to do, though, we could make it happen. A gust of wind rushed by, and we pulled our coats tighter to us.

"Head inside where it's warm, and we can get on our way soon. I'll be there in a moment." Once he slid open the door, I moved to untie the boat from the dock before making my way inside. Tom was at the stove cooking. "Tom, did you meet Bella and her family?" He nodded.

"Yes, sir," he answered. "We were just discussing Charlie's homemade fish fry. I told him I'd like to try it out some day." I smiled.

"That sounds nice. Charlie, maybe we'll plan something when the weather gets better." I moved to the controls and slowly took us out into the Sound. Bella came over to sit in the chair beside me, leaning over so she could look at the dials beside me. "Can I help you with something?"

"There are so many dials and levers, and what's this?"

"That's a temperature gauge." She turned slightly to check the panel in front of us but remained leaning against me. I wasn't complaining though. "Do you want me to teach you how to drive?" She shook her head before leaning it against my shoulder.

"Maybe some other time. I just want to enjoy this right now." She sighed, and I was happy that it sounded contented.

"Did I tell you about Mr. Diaz's latest ridiculous venture idea?" She giggled, before even hearing it.

"This is going to be good."

I spent the next twenty minutes telling her about Mr. Diaz's idea to start a company to distribute food to vendors at sports fields. Eventually, I brought the boat to a stop and dropped the anchor. The sun was just beginning to descend in the sky casting the most beautiful colors over the water. Bella was on her knees, her elbows propped on the back of the couch, and her chin resting in her hands. She looked so happy with that smile on her face. I almost hated to call her away.

"Bells," Charlie said. "Why don't you come over here for dinner, Baby Girl?"

"No!" Her loud exclamation startled us all, and we looked over at her sharply. She stood ramrod straight still looking out the window. Her shoulders were hunched with tension, and her hands were balled into fists. "Not B-" There was a sharp intake of breath before she could finish her statement. "Not that…name. Don't call me that." She took a deep breath. "Please."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head before her shoulders fell, and she turned around.

"Don't be sorry. I'm sorry." She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. "That name. He used to call me that." My heart hurt for her. I hated when she had these moments that threw her back there. She walked over and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Dad."

"You don't need to apologize. I promise." He laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed. "Which name do I need to avoid?"

"Bells is okay. That's always been my name from you." He smiled and motioned to the bench across the table from him. I waited for her to slide in before taking my seat next to her as Tom brought over the food.

"I appreciate the opportunity to do this for you tonight," he said as he placed the last dish on the table. "Dessert is in the fridge in the bar when you're ready. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Thank you, Tom," Bella said as she smiled at him.

The food was wonderful, and we did all that we could to pull Bella out of her slight funk. We talked about Charlie's job and how he was considering looking for another house. Bella was immediately concerned about him and Sue, but they assured her everything was still going well and strong between them. Charlie had been living with Sue in the home she'd shared with her late husband, Harry. They both just wanted a fresh start, a place of their own. Bella tried to stealthily ask if they were considering getting married, but Charlie got flustered and changed the subject to school.

Bella had started classes online through the University of Washington. She had been accepted into the Computer Engineering program, and with most of her classes transferring from Port U, she only had 48 credits remaining. Instead of easing back into it like we'd all tried to recommend, she was taking 16 credits this quarter. Her goal was to finish her degree in one year. Her plan was 16 hours this quarter, 16 for the spring quarter, and 9 credits each summer term. If anyone could do it, though, it was Bella. She was the strongest woman I knew.

"Don't burn yourself out, Bells," Charlie said as she finished telling us about her Algorithms and Computational Complexity class.

"I'll be fine. I just want to get this over with," she said as she picked at the last few bits that were remaining on her plate. "I should have been done with this years ago. Other people my age have started their career. They're making their way up the corporate ladder, and I'm…not."

"Hey, hey." He waited until she met his gaze. "I have never taught you to compare yourself to others, have I?" She hesitated but finally shook her head. "You've always been smarter than I knew how to handle." She rolled her eyes but smiled at his praise. "Things will happen in the right time, even if you don't think it's fast enough."

"What do you want to do when you've finished school, Bella?" Sue asked, and I could see the genuine interest on her face. Honestly, I'd wondered the same thing, but I didn't want to push her into talking about it if she wasn't ready.

"I think I have an idea, but I want to iron it out in my head first before saying anything," she answered as she pushed her plate away from her slightly.

"Not even a hint?" Bella giggled at Sue's enthusiasm.

"It has to do with computers." Sue rolled her eyes and smacked Charlie's arm when he chuckled.

"Well, I hate to interrupt," I said, bringing everyone's attention to me. "I brought some heavy blankets in case you wanted to sit on the deck to watch the sunset. It looks like it's just about the perfect time. Feel like it?"

Charlie and Sue chose to stay inside, but Bella and I moved to the bench outside. I wrapped one blanket around her shoulders and threw another over our laps. When she shivered, I took the opportunity to wrap my arm around her shoulders. We were quiet as we watched the sun set lower and the lights of Seattle begin to twinkle to life.

"I can't thank you enough for tonight," she finally whispered not turning to look at me. "I'd say 4.7 stars."

"You don't have to thank me," I told her honestly. "I just want to see you happy. That's thanks enough." She turned to look at me with misty eyes. It was unexpected when she leaned up to press her lips against my cheek, and she lingered for longer than necessary.

"You're such a wonderful man, Edward Masen."

* * *

**AN 05/25/2019: Boys and their toys...Ha! But as Edward pointed out, they're not _all_ his. Some belong to the company. *eye roll* Dinner went well with the exception of the one moment. But that's going to be part of her life, learning what will trigger her. She bounced back pretty quickly though. And they got some semi-alone time watching the sunset. Adorable! Let me know what you think. Love hearing from y'all. **


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_I can't thank you enough for tonight," she finally whispered not turning to look at me. _

"_You don't have to thank me," I told her honestly. "I just want to see you happy. That's thanks enough." She turned to look at me with misty eyes. It was unexpected when she leaned up to press her lips against my cheek, and she lingered for longer than necessary. _

"_You're such a wonderful man, Edward Masen."_

* * *

The phone sat facedown on my desk in silence. I'd been attempting to avoid looking at it for the past hour, but it sat there mocking me as my text to Bella had gone unanswered. It wasn't unusual for her to take a while to respond, especially this week. Finals would begin in three days, so she was spending all of her time studying. Of course, I didn't want to distract her from her studies, but over the last month since Valentine's Day, we'd been spending even more time together. It was actually more uncommon for us to be apart. My feelings for her had deepened over the last few months, and I was fighting my desire to move our relationship into the more romantic realm. I didn't want to push her before she was ready, but I was absolutely beyond ready.

"…Thursday at 2:30pm sound to you?" I didn't even realize Stephen had come into my office. I really needed to get my head back in the game.

"I'm sorry, Stephen," I apologized. "What were you saying?"

"Ms. Hennessey would like to meet with you about the Brazoney account. I can schedule her for Tuesday at 3:00pm. Also, Mr. Diaz called to talk about a business opportunity he'd like to discuss. I can schedule him for Thursday at 2:30pm. Is that okay with you?" I shook my head.

"I need to keep Tuesday afternoon clear. Can you reschedule her for that morning?"

"10:15?" I nodded.

"Thursday 2:30pm should be fine for Mr. Diaz."

"Is there anything else I can help you with at the moment?" I sat up as a thought entered my mind.

"Actually, yes. Bella finishes her finals on Friday." He was nodding.

"Yes, I put it on the schedule so I could keep that afternoon clear if possible." I was slightly taken back for a moment. I didn't give Stephen enough credit.

"I'd like to send her-"

"A bouquet of lilies has already been scheduled to be waiting at home for her that afternoon. Phillip will pick you up from the condo at 6:30, then you will retrieve Ms. Swan from the Hale residence. There's a reservation in your name at Dahlia Lounge. Chef Douglas is aware you will be in attendance." Once I realized my mouth was hanging slightly open, I closed it with a snap and cleared my throat. My eyes were drawn to my office door when a quiet giggle caught my attention. Sandy was covering her mouth with mirth in her eyes.

"Thank you, Stephen," I dismissed. He nodded once before walking back to his desk. Sandy came inside with a wide grin.

"See," she said coyly. "I do know what I'm talking about every once in a while." I gave her a withering look, but it didn't seem to phase her. "I know we won't be meeting until next week. I was just hoping you could give this to Bella." She handed me a gift basket. "It's a finals survival kit – pens, pencils, whiteout, chocolates, an iTunes gift card. You know, just some essentials."

"That's very kind of you. I'll give it to her the next time I see her." She looked at me strangely.

"Not seeing her today? I thought you saw her pretty much every day."

"I've asked if she wants to go to Bainbridge for dinner tonight, but she hasn't responded yet." As if on cue, my phone began to buzz. Sandy laughed as I snatched it from my desk.

"Tell Bella I said hello." She didn't wait for my response before leaving my office and closing the door behind her.

"Hello," I greeted.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," Bella began immediately. "Sequence permutations are going to be on the final for my algorithms class, and I'm working on my Fisher-Yates shuffle. I'm not sure why it's giving me such a problem. The Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition didn't give me a pause. Even the Lesk and Sukhotin's algorithm from my Natural Language Processing class were a breeze. Why is the Fisher-Yates shuffle giving me so much trouble?" Her frustration was apparent, but at the same time, I had no answer for her. It was all a foreign language to me.

"I think you may need a break. You've been studying so hard this week." She sighed.

"I think you may be right." I heard what sounded like a book being closed on her end of the line. "Is your offer of dinner still on the table? I didn't mean for you to go hours without an answer from me."

"Absolutely. Mrs. Spencer is making steamed mussels and roasted vegetables with a cheesecake for dessert."

"I love her." I barked a laugh.

"I'm sure she'd love to hear that." Stephen buzzed me on the office phone, and I hated having to end our call. "I should be able to get away soon. Why don't I pick you up in an hour?"

"That would be great."

"I'll see you soon."

~LBSS~

My foot tapped rapidly as Phillip drove to the Hale residence. I had every intention to leave the office within the hour, but as sometimes happens, I was delayed. A surprise visit from Allen Jones took up the last half hour of my day and caused me to leave 15 minutes later than expected. My phone call to Bella went unanswered, but I left her a message apologizing for my tardiness and assuring her I would be there as quickly as possible. When Phillip parked, Bella was sitting on the porch swing. As I was stepping from the car, she bounded down the stairs and hurried toward me. She pushed onto her tiptoes and kissed my cheek before hurrying into the car.

"Hi, Phillip," she greeted.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan," he said politely, but I could also hear the affection he had for her.

"I missed your call _again_. I'm sorry. I was working on my algorithm, and it's just not coming to me. I wish I could get inside its mind!"

"Wouldn't that make you a computer bug?" I quipped. She looked at me quickly before peeling over in laughter. Her mood was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile. "Maybe that's what I'll call you from now on." She bit her lip as she tried to control her laughter.

"I really needed this. Thank you." I reached over and squeezed her hand that was resting between us.

The remainder of the car ride was spent with Bella talking about her class material. I enjoyed seeing her so passionate and carefree these days. She had come a long way since her return. Two weeks ago, she told me she was thinking about moving into a place of her own. The thought was both exciting and terrifying. When Bella first returned, she had an overwhelming fear that she would be taken again. It took quite a while for her to become comfortable outside of the Hale residence. This was a sign of her improvement, but I still struggled with that fear every once in a while. I wanted to ensure she was safe at all times. Which is why I had made my offer that she had yet to give me a decision on. We were walking into the house when I brought it up.

"Have you thought about my offer?" I asked, unable to wait any longer.

"I have," she answered then walked into the kitchen to hug Mrs. Spencer. The sight drew a smile from my lips. Those two were thick as thieves. Our conversation was put on hold for ten minutes while they caught up since it'd been a week since they saw each other last. Before long, Mrs. Spencer was saying goodbye, and Bella and I sat at the island to eat.

"So?" I wanted to discuss this. I was ready with my counter-arguments for when she refused.

"Okay." _Wait. _

"Huh?" She looked at me as one side of her mouth twitched in amusement.

"I said okay. I'll move into the condo in Seattle."

"Are you serious?" She turned so her body was facing mine.

"I know I was…a little resistant to the idea at first. Honestly, I'm still not 100% comfortable with the idea of living in your company's condo." She held her hands up in surrender when I opened my mouth to reassure her. "However." She laid one hand over mine. "You are beyond kind to help me in this new adventure. Also, being in a building with a security guard, as you pointed out, does make me feel a bit more at ease with the idea of moving into a place alone." She pointed her finger in my face and gave me a scowl as my smile began to grow. "But this is temporary, Mr. Masen." I turned back to my plate and stuffed a bite of food into my mouth to keep myself from grinning in victory. "Once I get a job and can afford a place of my own, I'll be out."

"Job?" This was new.

"How else am I going to rent a place? That takes money."

"You're taking so many classes, and you spend hours a day studying, which you should. I would hate for you to get a job and your studies suffer. You can stay in the condo as long as you wish. Please, don't get a job just because of money. It's okay to let someone help you. You're not alone, not anymore." She looked down and picked at the food on her plate. "Don't make me call Charlie. You know he'll agree with me." She smiled and bumped her shoulder into my arm.

"I'll think about it." I leaned over and kissed her temple.

"Thank you."

* * *

**AN 05/29/2019: I forgot to mention last chapter that pictures of The Aurora on my Facebook page - Lena Kay. Feel free to check them out and dream with me. Ha! **

**Did you like this chapter? We're seeing Bella become more comfortable with herself and Edward. Her personality is coming through, and she's being a bit more affectionate with Edward. Even though a month has passed, we see they haven't taken that leap in their relationship yet. There's forward progress though! And Bella's going to move out on her own. What do you think about that? Too soon? Not soon enough? Like that she's moving into the condo? No? I'm excited to hear your thoughts about what's to come. Do you think it'll go smoothly?**


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_You're taking so many classes, and you spend hours a day studying, which you should. I would hate for you to get a job and your studies suffer. You can stay in the condo as long as you wish. Please, don't get a job just because of money. It's okay to let someone help you. You're not alone, not anymore." She looked down and picked at the food on her plate. "Don't make me call Charlie. You know he'll agree with me." She smiled and bumped her shoulder into my arm. _

"_I'll think about it." I leaned over and kissed her temple. _

"_Thank you."_

* * *

My arm felt like it was ready to fall off. Finals were done, and Bella was moving into the condo. I'd offered to hire a moving company, but she insisted on taking care of it herself. There was no furniture to worry about, but she'd accumulated many trinkets. And clothes. There were so many clothes. Jasper had always said Alice's clothes seemed to multiply daily. Now I understood. This was the seventh stack of clothes I'd carried in today, and the hangers were becoming heavier than I realized. Finally, the elevator opened, and I went to the closet to hang up the latest load. Thank goodness this was the last of the stuff we needed to move. We had moved most of it yesterday. I made my way into the sitting area and sat heavily on the couch letting out a long breath.

"Here," Bella said as she held a bottle of water out to me. I thanked her as I took a few gulps. It may still be cool outside, but I was sweating from the frequent trips to the car. "Thank you, again." I shook my head.

"I told you that you don't have to keep thanking me." She sat down beside me with one leg curled under her and the other propped up with her face resting against her knee.

"I know. It's just…" She trailed off without finishing her thought. I moved to place the bottle on a coaster on the coffee table beside her laptop. I noticed a document open on the laptop titled _IMC Threat Assessment and Securities_.

"What's this? Are you working on something for an upcoming class?"

"No." She sat up straighter and scratched the back of her neck. Her nerves confused me.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer." She took a deep breath, almost as if she were bolstering herself.

"Remember Valentine's Day?" How could I forget Valentine's Day? I nodded in answer. "Remember how Sue asked if I knew what I wanted to do once I completed my degree?" I nodded again. "Well," she nodded towards the computer, "that's it." She wasn't making sense, which I think she could tell by the look on my face. "It's a business plan. _My _business plan." My brows shot up. Business plan. I had no idea that she wanted to start a business. Now this_…this _was something I could help with. This was right up my alley. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"You just amaze me, Bella Swan." Color rose in her cheeks as she had trouble meeting my eyes. "Tell me all about it." She tucked both feet under her and leaned her elbow against the back of the couch.

"I want to help companies do threat assessments and assist with security systems. I can design them for the business's specific needs based on what's found in their assessment. Ideally, I'd want to also get into the physical security aspect, but that's far outside my wheelhouse." She leaned over to pick up the computer and held it out toward me.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and stood from her seat. She told me she was going to start lunch while I looked it over.

I read through the first ten pages without taking a break. Her plan was very thorough, more thought-out than some I had seen from my own employees. And I was only ten pages in. There were another thirty! I took a moment to look over toward the kitchen as I heard the sound of a pan hitting the stove top. She looked over at me guiltily as she apologized with her eyes. I just smiled at her embarrassment. When she turned around, a feeling of contentment washed over me.

Seeing her in my space, regardless that it wasn't where I pictured my main home, sent warmth through my chest. This felt so natural. I could picture many Saturdays spent on Bainbridge, her in the kitchen while I watched from the living room or better yet, me at her side. Both of us on the deck, soaking up the sun. An intimate dinner shared in the wine room with just candles to light the space. I wanted that with her. It was too soon though. She hadn't even been back a year. I needed to give her time to reacclimate into everyday life. I also didn't want to distract her from school. She was taking such a heavy course load over the next few months. Shaking my head to push that desire away, I turned back to the screen to continue reading.

"Bella, why did you choose IMC? Wouldn't you want it to be S?" I asked before I read about her DBA registration. She looked up from the food.

"It's not my initials. It stands for Internal Measures and Controls. Swan may not always be my last name, unless whomever I eventually marry wants to change his last name to mine like Emmett did." I looked at her in shock. Seeing my surprise, she elaborated. "Emmett didn't have a great childhood – abusive parents. He said he enlisted looking for a family. Then he met Rosalie, and she accepted him just as he was. Her family embraced him from the beginning. When they married, he wanted to be a part of that, so they decided to change his name instead of hers, said his didn't mean much." I was shocked to hear that, but it's not like I expected him to talk about itwhen we were together. That's something that would be a rather involved conversation. "So, they aren't initials, just an extension of the name. All the words together would have been too much of a mouthful." We both chuckled. "Now finish reading. You're making me nervous."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

* * *

**AN 05/31/2019: Are y'all okay with an extra chapter posted out of schedule. I'm celebrating, because I just finished the last chapter of this story. It's unedited but still very exciting for me. Once I have it fully edited and ready for posting, I'll try to post more often. Reviews have started to taper off, so I hope that doesn't mean y'all are growing bored with the story. **

**Edward's picturing Bella in a very intimate role, and it makes my heart smile. He's also looking for every excuse he can to be around her more often. *sigh* He's determined to give her time, but how much time does she need? What do you think?**

**We finally see what Bella wants to do career-wise. I think her experience has really shaped that. Security; something she values dearly. She's got big ambition, dreams, and plans. I love when people have big dreams. What is your big dream? I would absolutely love to hear it.**

**Next chapter will be up Sunday. I'll be out of town tomorrow. **


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Emmett didn't have a great childhood – abusive parents. He said he enlisted looking for a family. When he met Rosalie, she accepted him just as he was. Then her family embraced him from the beginning. When they married, he wanted to be a part of that, so they decided to change his name instead of her changing it, said his didn't mean much." I was shocked to hear that, but it's not like I expected him to talk about when we were together. That's something that would be a rather involved conversation. "So, they aren't initials, just an extension of the name. All the words together would have been too much of a mouthful." We both chuckled. "Now finish reading. You're making me nervous." _

"_Aye, aye, Captain."_

* * *

Once I finished reading Bella's business proposal, I placed the computer on the table in front of me. She saw my movement, turned the stove off, and moved to sit beside me. I could see the nervousness, but there was no need for that. Her plan was solid, and with a few tweaks, it would be ready. Charlie and Alice had been telling me she was smart, but she was more than that. She was brilliant.

"Is it mainly data security then?" I asked. I could see that aspect, but there were hints of more or at least the possibility of more in the future. "You have such a knack for computers and software."

"Well, that would be the major part of it," she agreed, "but I want to assess physical access as well. Pipe dream would be to offer self-defense as well for women. You know, every aspect of security. After I was…taken…I see things differently around me." I turned to face her and focus on what she was telling me. "For example, this building has some vulnerabilities." That made me slightly nervous. I had chosen this building specifically for the security, and now that she would be staying here, I wanted to ensure it was the safest environment possible.

"How so?"

"Well, what do you think about the building?" I thought about it.

"I thought the security was tight. There's the armed security guard in the lobby. All guests must check in with him. There are only two entrances on the ground level, and the one that's unmanned remains locked from the exterior with key access required. There's an underground parking garage that also requires key access. Additionally, this floor is only accessible by key."

"Those are all great security features."

"But?"

"The only cameras on the ground floor are on the doors. If someone walks in with their head lowered, they'll never be recorded. There should be one on the elevator, in the elevator, on the stairwell, and on the exterior of the doors facing away from the building.

"The feed for those cameras is stored on a server that wipes every ten days. It should be a minimum of 30 days. The armed security guard does not carry his weapon. Yes, he has access to a weapon that's stored under the desk. If he's not directly behind the desk though, he does not have immediate access to the weapon. And if he doesn't have immediate access, the person meaning to do harm does."

"True." I shifted in my seat making a mental note to remember everything she was telling me. I'd have to rectify all of this quickly.

"Now, the electronics of the access system are severely outdated. Anyone with internet can learn how to bypass the key access system if they knew the model, which is an Everson MS400. That company doesn't even exist anymore, so they can't service the unit. Once bypassed, someone can just walk into that unmanned door and straight into the stairwell or elevator." My heart was dropping with each thing she pointed out. "Now the elevator key access is a different system, slightly more current. However, the service door on the roof of the elevator does not lock. Someone can open that, step on the handrail to boost themselves inside, and use the ladder inside the shaft to access the floor of their choosing.

"Then the door to the condo is down with two heavy kicks from a strong enough man, and they'd send more than just one." Her eyes were unfocused and breath shallow. "They'll grab me, because there's nowhere for me to hide." My heart broke for her. This was more than just an assessment. This is what she thought would happen to her if the organization ever came after her. "The elevator can be called from the upper floors without a key. It'll be easy for them to pull me into the lift and walk me right out the front door. Or worse, they'll use the service elevator. There's no monitoring in that or the garage. They'll leave without ever being on camera. You'll never know."

"Bella." I reached forward and placed my hand on her arm. She startled and looked at me as if she didn't realize I was even in the room. "Breathe, Honey." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward and pulled her into my arms. "Nothing's going to happen to you. I'm going to keep you safe. You're going to be fine." Her breath shuddered as she released it.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just know that you're okay. You are going to be okay." I held her until her breathing settled into a steady rhythm and I felt both our heartbeats return to normal. I pulled back and rubbed her arms. "Why don't we eat that lunch you spent so much time preparing?" She nodded and tried to smile.

We sat at the kitchen island and ate the grilled chicken and sautéed vegetables. After we ate, I asked if she'd like me to stick around for a while. She nodded saying that'd be nice. I had brought my computer just in case. So, I set up my work at the couch, and Bella sat in the chair with her own computer. She immediately got to work, and I took a few moments to just watch her. She was so focused. Most likely sensing my eyes on her, she looked up to catch me staring and cocked her head to the side with a curious look. I shook my head and tried to focus on my own work. It was hard with her near though. She was the most beautiful distraction. I dove into the marketing campaigns and was startled from my work an hour later when my phone rang.

"Hello, Esme," I greeted.

"Edward, how are you?" she asked, but she didn't sound as enthusiastic as she usually did.

"I'm well. How are you and Carlisle?"

"We're good. I'm actually calling to see if you can come to our office on Monday. We've had some movement in Bella's case." I had asked to be kept in the loop with any findings, and it seemed she was doing that.

"Okay."

"We're not telling Bella yet." I looked over to Bella, but she was still enthralled in her work.

"Why?"

"We need to come up with a plan for how we're going to handle this."

"What?"

"That's what we'll talk about Monday." She paused for a moment. "Are you with her?"

"I am." She sighed.

"I understand. We can talk about this Monday. Have Steven rearrange your morning." That caused my worry to spike. "On another note, can you and Bella make it to dinner tomorrow?" Our tradition of Sunday family dinner had slowed down lately, and I knew my aunt was missing having us all together.

"One second." I covered the phone. "Bella." She looked up and smiled. "Do you want to go to dinner with everyone tomorrow night?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. Her relationship with Alice had improved, and she enjoyed getting together with her now.

"We'll be there, Esme."

"That's wonderful. We'll see you at 6:00pm. I love you. Tell Bella I said hello."

"I will. We'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

**AN 06/02/2019: Poor Bella. She's always got those monsters in the back of her mind. She sees things differently than we do, and she obviously made Edward a bit nervous with her assessment. Got a theory on what he plans to do about it? Then w****hat in the world could be going on with Esme? Let me know your thoughts. **


	21. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Death Shall Have No Dominion" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"One second." I covered the phone. "Bella." She looked up and smiled. "Do you want to go to dinner with everyone tomorrow night?"_

_"Yes!" she exclaimed. Her relationship with Alice had improved, and she enjoyed getting together with her now._

_"We'll be there, Esme."_

_"That's wonderful. We'll see you at 6:00pm. I love you. Tell Bella I said hello."_

_"I will. We'll see you tomorrow."_

* * *

I shut off the car and went around to open Bella's door. She stepped out and smiled at me when she took my arm. I led her inside and savored the elevator ride as she remained pressed against my side. Family dinner had been fun tonight. We'd laughed, told stories about our childhood, and listened to tales from Carlisle and Esme about their younger life. Bella had been hunched over laughing freely at our antics. She had even carried on a side conversation with Alice while Jasper and I were talking with my aunt and uncle. Watching her having a good time, smiling, being a part of my family, made it even more difficult not to reach over and pull her to me for a kiss. Everything about her made me want her even more.

"Thank you for tonight," Bella said. She turned back to me and leaned against the door after unlocking it. "I appreciate you letting me be a part of that." She looked so tempting in that moment. I wanted nothing more than to press my lips against hers. They looked so inviting as I tried to break my stare. I tore my gaze from her when she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "What is this?" I searched her eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked when I saw something I couldn't identify.

"What is this, Edward?" She averted her eyes before she continued while motioning between us. "This. You. Me. Sometimes, I think you see me as this victim that you need to fix. Sometimes, though, I think you see me as a woman. A woman that isn't broken, that isn't damaged. A woman you might want more than this friendship with. Am I totally off?"

"You are not damaged." She looked at me tenderly.

"You make me feel like I'm not." I reached forward and held her arms.

"You. Are. Not. Damaged." She smiled.

"Then what am I to you?" My heart sped up. This was the right time. I could feel it in my bones.

"You are everything." I saw hope spark in her eyes.

"Then when are you going to kiss me?"

Hearing those words, I lost the little bit of control that I'd managed to hold onto. I pulled her forward and finally, _finally _placed my lips on hers. They were warm against mine, and I felt that warmth spread through me. I kept the kiss gentle, tender. I wanted her to know how much I cherished her. I groaned when she wrapped her arms around my neck and spread her fingers through my hair. Electricity ran through my body, and I moved my hands to her back to pull her tighter against me. I was surprised when I felt Bella run her tongue over my lips and gasped. She took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, and I didn't stop her. I stepped forward until Bella was trapped between me and the door. Feeling the door against my hands brought me back to the present. With reluctance, I pulled back and pecked her lips a few times.

"Bella." My voice was raspy as the emotions of the moment overwhelmed me.

"God, that was good," she whispered, her eyes still closed and a small smile pulling at her lips. I laughed. I wanted nothing more than to press myself against her once again. "4.8 stars." I groaned.

"Don't make this harder than it already is." Her eyes finally met mine, and they were slightly hooded. Tempting. She was enticing.

"Will you come in?" My mind jumped to activities with Bella that I shouldn't be imagining yet. Images of Bella in bed assaulted me, and I closed my eyes as I groaned. "To talk! Only to talk." I leaned my forehead down to rest on hers and look into her eyes.

"Talk."

"Only talk." From the corner of my eye, I saw her raise two fingers. "I promise not to attack you."

"You know you're not a Boy Scout, right?" I pulled her fingers down so her hand was in a fist. She opened my hand and laced her fingers through mine before she turned to open the door and pull me inside. I warred with myself about going inside but followed her anyway. She tossed her keys onto the sideboard before walking to take a seat on the couch. I sat beside her and turned so I could face her directly.

"I don't know how people usually talk about this, how they ease into it. So, I'll just ask." I nodded. As much as I could see Bella's development and growth since her return, I often forgot she was still so young. Bella had had one boyfriend before, and it was such a young and short-lived relationship. Then she'd been taken, and her whole world had been turned upside down. Relationships had been non-existent or perverted and twisted. She hadn't learned how to have normal, healthy relationships. "I like you." She looked down, and I could see her mustering the courage to continue. "I imagine being with you. I see myself with you, loving you, married to you."

"Bella," I breathed out quietly. I was in awe of her. I fought not to interrupt her, to let her do this since she was being so brave.

"Then there are moments I think you want that too. There are moments when you look at me in just this certain way that I think, _there it is. _Then it's like these shutters come down, and it's gone. Maybe I'm reading more into this than I should. Maybe I'm jeopardizing the friendship we have right now. And I need to know if I'm completely off base, because I'm already invested. I need to find a way to…realign my heart if you don't feel the same way." She sighed and moved to push off the couch, so I captured her hand and held her in place. She looked over at me cautiously.

"I want everything with you." A small smile pulled at her lips, but I could still see the hesitation in her eyes as if she didn't fully believe me. "Bella, don't you know?" She tilted her head as her eyes crinkled. "I've loved you for a very long time." Her breath hitched. "Definitely since we escaped the hotel. Probably from the second time I saw you."

"How…why…"

"Because you are beautiful." I reached up and softly ran my thumb over the smooth skin of her cheek. "But before that, I discovered you were kind." She reached up and took my hand into hers, holding it in her lap. "Before that, I learned you were smart and funny – exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because I can imagine taking a long trip with you without ever getting bored. Because whenever I see something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, I always wonder what you have to say about it, how many stars you'd give it and why." She laughed before covering her mouth and sobering. "Because when I think about my future, you're all I see." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine before pulling back just centimeters with a radiant smile. The sun had set ages ago, but her smile brought so much light to the room – to my life. She bit her lip before uttering the words I'd been waiting to hear for so long.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**AN 06/05/2019: Everyone together now - yaaaaaaaay! It's about dadgum time. ;) A few of y'all called it - Bella was the one that made the first move. But Edward was waiting with the perfect response. Let me know what you thought about this chapter. I can't wait to hear from you guys. **


	22. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"Because you are beautiful." I reached up and softly ran my thumb over the smooth skin of her cheek. "But before that, I discovered you were kind." She reached up and took my hand into hers, holding it in her lap. "Before that, I learned you were smart and funny – exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because I can imagine taking a long trip with you without ever getting bored. Because whenever I see something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, I always wonder what you have to say about it, how many stars you'd give it and why." She laughed before covering her mouth and sobering. "Because when I think about my future, you're all I see." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine before pulling back just centimeters with a radiant smile. The sun had set ages ago, but her smile brought so much light to the room – to my life. She bit her lip before uttering the words I'd been waiting to hear for so long._

_"I love you, too."_

* * *

It was Monday morning, and I'd come to the FBI office as Esme had requested. I'm not sure what I expected, but this definitely wasn't it. I had hoped they would have some good news, perhaps movement within the organization by the undercover agent Luca. Not this though. Never this.

"What do you mean, _don't tell Bella_?" I growled lowly. I looked at each of them to find nothing but serious expressions. I clenched my jaw as I felt my anger spike. "No."

"Now, Edward," Esme began with her hands up trying to placate me. "You know I wouldn't ask you to do something like this unless I believed it was best for Bella." I scoffed.

"You think hiding this is in her best interest? Lying to her?" I looked at her as if she had two heads. She had to; it was the only explanation for why she would suggest such a thing.

"How can you be okay with this?" I asked Jeanine. "You're her therapist. Your number one concern should be Bella's wellbeing."

"Bella is my only concern in this, Edward," she said calmly. "That's why I happen to agree with Agent Acker. With her DID, this information could cause her to manifest. We don't want that. I think we should wait until the man is in custody before saying anything to Bella. She needs to know that she is safe and that there's no immediate threat. This isn't the time."

After a few months of working with Jeanine, Bella had a particularly rough session where she was recounting the incident that led to the scar on her ankle. Bella told me later that evening about her first, and only, attempt to escape the compound in Germany. She had, of course, been caught. As a way to set an example to the other girls, they'd bound her with a device that had barbs pointed inward to her skin. Every step caused more damage to her ankle, and eventually, she couldn't walk without bleeding for hours. They left her in the device for three weeks. She said it was one of the first times she considered suicide, and therefore, a very dark time in her life. While reliving that moment, Bella "disconnected" and became Daisy.

After a few more sessions with Jeanine, in some of which I participated, she determined that Bella had Dissociative Identity Disorder. I had expected PTSD, which she had been diagnosed with soon after her return. But DID? I didn't even know what that meant when Jeanine had first said it. Even when she told me, it was so hard to believe. Part of Isabella's DID meant that there were moments in her life she couldn't remember which explained so much about my time in Germany.

There were times I had been with her in Germany that she didn't remember. I could distinctly recall a few times overseas that she acted distinctly different from the Bella I'd come to know. Jeanine said in those moments, she believed Bella wasn't there, that it was Daisy. She said that when Bella was severely overwhelmed, Daisy manifested as a protective barrier. It allowed Bella a place to go, disappear so to speak, so that she didn't have to experience all the cruelties of her life. Though what she could remember was cruel enough.

The diagnosis terrified Bella. She had a difficult time reconciling it in her mind. She couldn't remember being "gone". A week after the diagnosis, Bella was still trying to come to terms with it in her mind. I asked her to talk with me about it instead of bottling it up and letting it fester. When she opened up, she said she didn't know what to believe, what to trust. Now I'd be giving her a reason to question her trust in me if, or rather when, she found out.

"You're asking me to lie to her."

"No." Jeanine shook her head. "I'm asking you to not tell her _yet_. There will come a time when it's necessary, but that time is not now."

"Edward," Carlisle said as he stepped forward at the tone of our voices. I didn't care. How could this team think lying to her was okay? "It's imperative to the investigation that Bella remain in the dark for the time being. When it's important that she know-" I couldn't take it. I couldn't listen to another word.

"It's important now! The-the-the _monsters_ that were holding her captive, using her, selling her…_raping her_; they're here." My anger got the best of me, and needing an outlet, I slammed my fist on the table. "They're in Seattle. They're practically on her doorstep. How the fuck is that not important for her to know?" Rage coursed through my veins, but another emotion clawing at the surface was close to overwhelming me. Fear. I was terrified. They couldn't have her. I'd do whatever I had to in order to protect her and that included running if necessary.

"We believe they may be, but it's unconfirmed. Luca only knows that they came to the west coast, not an exact location. We can't jump to conclusions." I barked a humorless laugh. How could he stand there and justify this?

"I can't believe…" I turned away unable to look them in the eyes. They couldn't do this. They couldn't ask me to do this. I wouldn't lie to her. She wouldn't understand. She trusted me, and I couldn't break her trust. I shook my head almost unable to comprehend the situation.

"Mr. Cullen," Garren said, an edge to his voice that told me I wasn't going to like what he had to say. "I'm forbidding you from speaking to Ms. Swan about this development. If you do, it will be considered impeding a federal investigation which can be subject to prosecution and, if convicted, up to 10 years in jail." I felt the tension in my shoulders increase as I heard Esme gasp quietly. I turned to see his face set in stone, his eyes cold.

"You're a bastard."

"Edward!" Carlisle laid a hand on Esme's arm to shush her.

"But I'm right," the asshole said, directing his statement at me. I turned to leave before I did something I would regret and ignored Esme's pleas for me to stay. I couldn't stay; I was suffocating in that room.

Two hours later, I found myself outside of the condo door still in my workout clothes, gym bag slung over my shoulder. Once I left the FBI field office, I'd called Steven to let him know I wouldn't be returning to the office and asked him to reschedule the meeting with Chan. From there, I headed straight to the gym and hit the treadmill to try to run off some of the frustration. When that didn't work, I donned my gloves and found a punching bag to maul. That helped some, but I knew nothing was going to completely relieve the tension and stress, nothing short of telling Bella, and I couldn't do that. I was slightly relieved when Bella finally opened the door, and I could see with my own two eyes that she was here and safe.

"Hey there, beautiful girl," I said with a smile hoping it wasn't strained.

"Umm," Bella said as she stared at me strangely. I knew I looked like a sweaty mess, but I didn't think it was that bad. "Hey."

"I know I don't look my best right now. I was hoping I could get cleaned up here. Then I'd like to take you to dinner if you're up to it. You've been so focused on your studies that I thought you might enjoy a break." She stared at my chest before looking me over. I felt more self-conscious the longer the silence stretched. "Bella?" Her eyes snapped to mine before she crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly with hands braced on the doorjamb. "I know I look…" I waved my hands up and down not sure the word I was looking for. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and it clicked for me. I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face. I watched as her eyes darkened the longer she looked me over.

I braced myself against the doorjamb, my fingers resting just below hers and leaned forward slightly. That was all the encouragement she needed. I felt her hands land on mine before they roamed up my arm and around my neck. A soft whimper escaped her as she pulled me forward and pushed her lips to mine. My body tingled at the contact, loving every second she gave me.

She didn't hesitate as she opened her mouth and ran her tongue over my lips. There were no soft kisses and gentle touches. She immediately deepened the kiss and pulled me inside the condo. I wrapped my arms around her swiftly when I felt her stumble in her haste. She giggled but didn't break away. I closed the door with my foot then reached back to click the lock in place. It was a bit of a struggle since Bella was pulling me to follow her. My gym bag fell with a thud, but neither of us paid it any mind. I was surprised when Bella pulled away suddenly making me think I'd gone too far. However, without warning, she pushed my backwards. Without realizing it, she had walked me to the couch, and I fell down heavily.

"Bel-" She cut me off when she crawled onto my lap, her legs straddling mine.

"Hot." I looked at her blankly. What? "Hot. You look hot. I know it's juvenile, but that's what you do to me." She leaned back to look at me again, and I gripped her hips to keep her from falling. The feel of the material under my fingers caught my attention, and I looked at her clothes for the first time since she opened the door and groaned. She wore one of my white undershirts, no bra, and a pair of red lace underwear. Unable to resist, I slid my hands back just enough to finger the edge and closed my eyes when I realized they were those kinds that didn't cover the lower half. Cheekies. I think they were called cheekies.

"Oh, you have no clue what you do to me." She grabbed my hands, and to my surprise, slid them further back so I was cupping her ass.

"I think I have an idea." She leaned forward until she was a hair's breath away. "You do the same to me." Her lips connected with mine again, and I fought to maintain my self-restraint. I pushed her away slightly so I could see her eyes.

"Bella, are you sure?" She stood up and pulled me with her. "I don't want you to feel rushed. I will wait for you. I mean, this is so new."

"It's not new; it's use. I've been sure." She turned and pulled me towards the bedroom. Just before we stepped through the door, she looked at me over her shoulder with a smirk. "It's you I've been waiting on, Edward Masen. You're a hard nut to crack."

~LBSS~

The sound of the alarm jerked me from my sleep when I was enjoying a rather wonderful dream. I reached for my phone on the nightstand and turned the alarm off. When I sighed, I heard and felt shuffling beside me making me realize my dream wasn't just a dream. My smile bloomed as Bella turned onto her side throwing an arm and leg on top of me. Her breath fanned over my chest causing me to shiver. Last night had been unreal, and I couldn't wait to do it again. Unfortunately, I had to get ready for work. I stretched down to kiss Bella's head.

"Hey, Bug," I whispered, reluctant to disturb her. She hummed but kept her eyes closed. "I've got to get up and get ready for work." She scooted closer and tightened her hold on me making me chuckle. "Trust me. I don't want to go, but duty calls."

"Staaaayyyy," she whined her plea.

"I want nothing more, and you're not making it any easier." She maneuvered so she straddled me, her legs tucked on either side of my hips and her naked upper body resting on mine. I could feel myself stir in response to her. "You're playing dirty." She looked up at me with sleepy eyes and a lazy smile. Her beauty struck me. She wiggled slightly. No shame. The woman was pulling all the punches.

"Stay with me." She saw my hesitation and went in for the kill. "Why don't you go in a little late? Just a little." She tilted her head and bit her lip. "For me?" I couldn't resist her.

"An hour. That's really all I can spare."

"I can make that work." She reached down and pushed her underwear down her legs. "I had plans that would take longer, but I'll make it work." She pushed up so she sat astride me. The picture of her – hair mussed, face still cloudy with sleep, and body completely on display – made my longing for her ache. She was right here, and I wanted it forever. "Now strip, mister." I scrambled to comply.

"Yes, ma'am."

An hour and a half later, I was donning my cufflinks and watch. Bella stood in the doorway watching me through the mirror. She was wearing more of those damn cheekies, royal blue this time, and my button down she'd pulled from my gym bag that I'd worn yesterday. The little minx knew exactly what she was doing. I shook my head willing myself to not fall under her spell once more. I was already thirty minutes behind my revised schedule. I couldn't look at her; she was too tempting. I startled slightly when I felt her hands snake around me from behind. She pressed herself against my back and trailed her hands up my chest.

"I hate to see you go," she mumbled against me.

"Me too," I agreed. "Duty calls though. I've got some meetings on the books today. If I could, I'd stay right here with you."

"Yeah?"

"Of course." She started to trail her hands down my stomach, but I was onto her. I captured her hands and pulled them up to kiss her palms before spinning around to lift her by her hips and set her on the counter. I kissed her quickly before pulling back and pointing a finger at her. "You're one dangerous woman." She grinned widely and batted her lashes innocently. "I really do have to go." She jutted out her lower lip in a pout so I pulled it between my teeth, at which she hissed, before soothing it with a kiss. "I can come back after work?" I still wanted her to know she always had a choice.

"Yes, please."

"Now stay here until I'm gone." I looked her over again appreciating every bit of her then sighed. "I can't watch you walk around in this and still leave." She giggled without an ounce of apology. I pressed a long chaste kiss to her swollen lips. "I love you, Bug." She returned the sentiment then I turned to leave before she convinced me to blow off the day. She was probably one good pout away from succeeding.

* * *

**AN 06/08/2019: Edward is not a happy camper about that meeting. I can't blame him though! Bella will not like this at all when she finds out. Do you think they're here, that they're actually in Seattle? Only time will tell, I guess. And what do you think about Bella's diagnosis? I remember the first time I met someone with DID. It's so devastating to see them struggle. **

**But the second half though! Bella's quite a firecracker. She's going to be a handful for Edward, but I seem to think he's not going to mind one little bit. ;) I think some thought it would take Bella quite a while to become comfortable with the idea of sex again. And honestly, that could have been the case. Like after a person has been sexually assaulted, it can cause them to shy away from the topic/action. On the other hand, I've seen women fully embrace their sexuality - reclaim it if you will. I see Bella doing that. **

**A lot happened this chapter, so I'd love to hear what you thought - about the meeting and Bella and Edward being together. **


	23. Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_You're one dangerous woman." She grinned widely and batted her lashes innocently. "I really do have to go." She jutted out her lower lip in a pout so I pulled it between my teeth, at which she hissed, before soothing it with a kiss. "I can come back after work?" I still wanted her to know she always had a choice. _

"_Yes, please."_

"_Now stay here until I'm gone." I looked her over again appreciating every bit of her then sighed. "I can't watch you walk around in this and still leave." She giggled without an ounce of apology. I pressed a long chaste kiss to her swollen lips. "I love you, Bug." She returned the sentiment then I turned to leave before she convinced me to blow off the day. She was probably one good pout away from succeeding._

* * *

The board meeting had gotten off to a great start. Kenzi had just finished reviewing the Q3 financials, and Sandy was set to present on the new clients that had been signed during Q3 as well as those that were in the process of being vetted. We were taking a short break before Sandy's presentation since the financials presentation lasted longer than we expected. I checked in with Sandy about Jason's baseball season. Her son had been chosen for a select league that was working with the Mariners, and I was curious how it had been going. Just as she starting telling me about the training camp he'd just attended at Safeco Field, Steven interrupted me.

"Mr. Masen, I have Mrs. Spencer on the phone," he said, but he seemed nervous.

"We're about to start again," I said reluctantly. I hated putting her off, but we really needed to wrap up the board meeting. Everyone began taking their seats, and I was happy to get back on track. I checked my watch to see it was 6:05pm. "It shouldn't be too much longer. Can you tell her I'll call her back?"

"She says it's urgent." I sighed and warred with myself. She wouldn't say it was urgent unless she meant it. "It's about Miss Swan. She didn't give me any details though." My heart dropped, and before saying anything to the board, I left the conference room and hurried to my office. I picked up the line immediately.

"Mrs. Spencer, what-"

"You need to come to Bainbridge," she interrupted me. I could hear the distress in her voice. "You need to come to Bainbridge right now."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I came over to restock the refrigerator, and I found Bella at the front door. She was sitting on the porch pressed into the corner with a blank look on her face." I began gathering my things and texting Phillip to meet me out front. "I tried to get her attention, but it's like she didn't even hear me. When I finally laid my hand on her shoulder, she scrambled away and made the most heartbreaking sounds. I eventually coaxed her inside. She's now on the couch, and I gave her a blanket to wrap up in because she felt frozen. I made her tea, but she hasn't drunk it. She hasn't said a word to me or even looked at me. She's just sitting there, staring at nothing."

"I'm on my way." I turned the computer off and motioned at Steven. He stepped inside with his ever-trusty notepad.

"Do I need to call an ambulance?"

"No. Call Carlisle and Esme and let them know. They may be able to get there before me."

"Okay. See you soon." I hung up the office phone and slid my cell phone into my pocket. "Steven, please let the board know that I had to leave for an emergency. Sandy can catch me up next week. We didn't have anything on the agenda that needed a vote, so this shouldn't cause too much interruption."

"Yes, sir." He had already called for the elevator, so it was waiting for me to step on. "I hope all is well with Miss Swan." I nodded, not sure things _were_ okay. I hurried to the car where Phillip was waiting with the door open.

"To Bainbridge, Phillip. And hurry if you can." He nodded before closing the door and rushing to the driver's door. Once inside, I could feel him speeding down the road. I pulled my phone back out and dialed Jeanine's number. She'd barely greeted me when I started telling her what I knew.

"I'm not going to come over," she said once I'd finished talking. "We don't know yet what's going on, and I don't want to insert myself unless she requests me. She has the control here. I don't want to take that away from her." I took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"I understand. I'm sorry for calling."

"No. Don't be sorry for calling. That's what I'm here for. I also recommend that you call Garrett if you feel the need. It's okay to seek help and support." I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "Edward, just know that we discussed Daisy today in depth. That may have overstretched her emotionally and mentally."

"Thank you. Have a good evening."

The ride home was the longest it had even taken in my life even though we were lucky to board the ferry fairly quickly. When we pulled into the driveway, I wasn't surprised to find both Carlisle and Esme's vehicles parked. I didn't wait for Phillip to open the door and left everything on the seat while I hurried inside. I slowed down once I closed the front door behind me. Unsure what kind of mood Bella would be in, I didn't want to feed into any tension or anxiety.

I made my way to the living room where I found Mrs. Spencer standing in the archway with a worried expression on her face. She was looking at the couch where Bella sat. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders that were hunched forward, as if she was folded into herself. Esme and Carlisle were sitting on the couch in front of her, but she stared beyond them through the French doors. Everyone looked over as I walked forward cautiously and sat beside her on the couch.

"Bella," I said quietly. I didn't reach for her though; I didn't want to startle her. She didn't turn my way and continued to stare forward with empty eyes. "Hey Bug, can you look at me?" She turned to me, and shock registered on her face. "Hey there."

"Hi," she said softly, her voice hoarse. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I'm done for the day." I didn't want her to get upset that I had left for her. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I…" She looked away and saw Carlisle and Esme for the first time. "Oh! Hi!" Her brows furrowed. "Have you been here long?"

"Not too long," Esme said. "What have you been up to today?" I watched as her hands began to tremble. Something had happened, and I was terrified to know what it was. "Did you go anywhere today?" Her breathing sped up. "It's okay, Bella. We're here. Everything's okay. I want you to go back-"

"NO!" Bella exclaimed and jumped from the couch quickly moving away from Esme to the fireplace. The blanket fell to the floor, and she paid it no mind. "No. No. No. I won't. I can't." I rose and moved over to her, hoping to offer some kind of comfort.

"Bella, you can't what?" I asked as I stopped in front of her. She looked up at me with wild eyes and gripped my jacket tightly.

"I can't. Please, Edward. Don't make me. You promised. You promised!"

"What? What, Bella?" She turned away from me and gripped her hair as she began to mutter something I couldn't understand before chanting _no_ before she stumbled sideways. Before I could reach her, she stood straight, and her whole body stilled. She glanced around before turning slowly to me with an indistinguishable look in her eye.

"Nice digs. I don't really remember this, but I'm not complaining." She stepped forward and planted a rough kiss on me. I didn't respond, too confused with everything that had just happened. She pulled away and winked at me with a smile. I heard Esme clear her throat, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Are you okay?" I asked her quietly.

"What's with the audience?" She turned to look and tilted her head towards them. "That's not like you."

I couldn't understand why she was acting so strange, why she spoke as if she didn't know Esme and Carlisle. She turned back to me with a shrug, as if she were unimpressed with what she saw. Confused and wanting some answers, I started to ask what was going on, but she stepped forward cutting me off. Her body pressed tightly to mine. She wrapped her arms around me, pushed up onto her toes, and placed a kiss at the base of my throat.

"So, Handsome," she said in a husky voice. "What's on the menu tonight?" Realization washed over me like a bucket of ice water. It couldn't – could it? Was she?

"Daisy?" I asked, not sure I actually wanted to know.

"Yes, Handsome? What is it that you want?" I pulled away slightly and held her arms as I looked in her eyes. I didn't know how to navigate this, but I figured honesty was the best policy. I just wished I had Jeanine here. She wasn't though. I took a deep breath and braced myself.

"I want Bella." Her eyes grew hard, a flicker of defiance in them.

"Why would you want her? I can do so much more for you." I shook my head in disbelief before focusing back on the woman in front of me.

"Daisy, it's okay. Bella's safe here. I promise." She cut her eyes to the other people in the room, but I kept my focus on her. "Daisy, look at me." I waited until her gaze settled back on me. "We are all here to help Bella. We're taking care of her. Those are my family members." I nodded towards Esme and Carlisle. "And the lady standing back there is Mrs. Spencer. She takes care of this place for me. She takes care of me really. You're at my home." She looked at me curiously. "We're in Seattle. We brought Bella home. She's safe now."

I dropped my arms when she stepped back and looked around warily before walking to the French doors that led to the patio and looked out. She opened the doors and stepped into the warm night air. She cautiously walked to each end of the patio before coming back inside.

"You're fucking with me," she said, but I shook my head. "Where are they? Where's Lars?" My jaw clenched at the mention of his name.

"I'm not lying to you," I stated calmly, though even I could tell my tone was a bit sharp. "No one else is here. We brought you…Bella home. She's been back for a while, and she's doing quite well." She scoffed.

"If she's doing so well then why am I here?"

"Daisy, is it?" Esme asked cautiously. Their eyes met, one set warm and inviting, the other defiant. "I believe Bella had a rather trying day. We were just talking to her about it so we could help her. I don't know what I said, but it triggered something."

"Me. It didn't trigger _something_; it triggered me." Esme nodded.

"Please Daisy," I said softly. "Bring Bella back." She looked at me with a bit of suspicion in her eyes.

"H-he's not here?" I stepped forward and cradled her face in my hands.

"When have I ever lied to you?" She took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"It was good to see ya, Handsome." I couldn't help but smile as she smirked and winked. Her eyes closed and, I quickly grabbed her arms as she swayed. Her eyes flew open, the fear back with a vengeance.

"E-Edward?" she asked brokenly.

"You're okay, Bella. Everything's okay." She shivered, and I pulled her into my arms. "I'm right here. I got you. You're safe."

"I…I…I…c-can't go back there." I heard Esme gasp and stand from where she sat.

"Oh, Bella! No," she assured empathetically as she stepped close and rubbed Bella's arm. "I never meant going back there. I was going to ask you to go back to this morning. Start the story from the beginning. I'm so, so sorry I made you think that. I only wanted you to start your story from the beginning."

Bella smiled at Esme and pulled back. I let my arms fall before she grabbed one in her hand and pulled me towards the couch. I sat and she took a seat beside me scooting until she was flush to my side. I rubbed her back hoping to give her some bit of comfort.

"I went to the store this morning. I wanted to make dinner for Edward." She looked at me with a slight smile. The news warmed my heart that she wanted to do something for me like that when I knew she was busy with her schoolwork. "I took the stuff back to the condo, and I thought you could pick me up when you were done with work to come here." I smiled and nodded. Though had she called me and told me, I'd have tried to find an excuse to leave early. "I wanted to pick up some Havarti, and the store didn't have any. There's a cheese guy at Pike's Place though; Rosalie was telling me about it. I thought I'd go." I stilled for a moment, shocked at the revelation. Pike's Place was crowded, more crowded than any place she'd been to on her own. We'd talked about her mixed feelings of crowded places. On one hand, she could easily blend in, be a face in a sea of many. On the other hand, though, she felt it would be easier to be taken and not noticed. I'd told her I would take her when she felt ready.

"You didn't have to do that," I told her. "I would have taken you. You didn't have to do it alone."

"I know." She placed her hand on my thigh. "I know, and I appreciate that. I just…I really wanted to do this. So, I went." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I spent about an hour there, just looking around, checking things out. Just _being_." After a few moments pause, Esme prompted her to continue.

"What happened, Bella?" She remained quiet for a long moment.

"I…there…" Her hand began to tremble against my thigh so I picked it up and held it tight. "He was there."

"Who?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"Him." Her voice fell to a whisper. "Lars." Tension filled me, quickly followed by fear and anger.

"Are you sure?" She nodded at my uncle as a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sure there were a lot of people there. It wasn't someone that looked similar?" Bella looked up sharply and for the first time, spoke harshly to him.

"I think I know the face of the man that used and abused me for a year and a half."

* * *

**AN 06/12/2019: Everyone say hi to Daisy. If there was ever a reason for Bella to need a defensive mechanism now that she's home, I would say it's seeing the man that was her abuser for so long. Then when she talked to Carlisle like that in the end...totally justifiable. Some of you thought from the teaser that she found out about the team knowing the organization may be near. She doesn't know that. Not yet. But worse than them thinking they may be in the area, Bella _knows_ they're in the area. It's no longer a speculation but a confirmation. **

**On a side note, many of y'all didn't like the fade-to-black moment in the last chapter. I understand that, but lemons are my least favorite thing to write. I do, however, plan to write an outtake of it and post once the story has completed. So more to come on that topic. **

How do you think Bella's going to react to the news moving forward? **I can't wait to hear from y'all! Let me hear it!**


	24. Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"I…there…" Her hand began to tremble against my thigh so I picked it up and held it tight. "He was there."_

_"Who?" Carlisle asked quietly._

_"Him." Her voice fell to a whisper. "Lars." Tension filled me, quickly followed by fear and anger._

_"Are you sure?" She nodded at my uncle as a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sure there were a lot of people there. It wasn't someone that looked similar?" Bella looked up sharply and for the first time, spoke harshly to him._

_"I think I know the face of the man that used and abused me for a year and a half."_

* * *

Bella immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry. I-"

"-don't need to apologize. I understand. I just need to be sure," Carlisle told her kindly. He looked at Esme and nodded before standing and leaving the room as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"How long ago was this, sweetheart?" Esme asked encouragingly.

"Maybe an hour?" She looked around the room. "What time is it?"

"7:00." Her eyes grew wide as her mouth hung open. "What? What is it?"

"It's 7:00? At night?" I nodded. "I was at Pike's Place at noon. I wasn't there more than an hour."

"What did you do after you saw Lars?"

"I came here. I panicked. I wasn't sure what to do, couldn't think straight. I thought of this place. I always feel safe here."

"You did just fine, Bella," I tried to assure her. "You can always come here."

"I came straight here then realized that was crazy." I started to interrupt her but she squeezed my hand to stop me. "It kind of was, Edward. You weren't here. I didn't even know if you were planning to come to Bainbridge tonight. Like I said, I wasn't thinking straight." She shook her head. "When I got here, I was going to call, but I couldn't find my phone. It must have fallen out of my pocket at some point. So, I sat down just to rest for a minute. I swear I thought it was just a minute. Next thing I know, you're here." Mrs. Spencer came into the room and handed a mug to Bella.

"Hot chocolate to warm you up, dear," she said and cupped her cheek. "You were cold as ice when I got here. Can't have you catching a cold." I perked up at the contents of her mug.

"Is that your homemade hot chocolate?" I asked hopefully. Mrs. Spencer scowled at me playfully while Esme and Bella giggled. I could feel my ears heat up from them finding humor at my expense, but I was happy to see even an ounce of happiness on her face. Mrs. Spencer's scowl turned to a soft smile, and she patted my cheek.

"I'll get you a cup."

Esme continued to question Bella, but she was gentle. Carlisle came back in to say a team was on the way. Even though it'd been seven hours since Bella saw him, there was still a chance he was there. He could be doing recon, looking for potential victims to take.

Eventually, I could feel Bella grow heavy against me. I checked my watch to see it was 9:00pm. Bella could barely keep her eyes open. Not only had the day been long, but she'd emotionally been put through the ringer. I wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head against my shoulder and sighed.

"Bug, why don't you get some sleep?" I asked and kissed her temple. I was so grateful she was here and safe. "You can even take a bath or a shower if that'll make you feel better." She covered her mouth as she yawned.

"A long, hot shower then crawling into bed sounds nice. Can I have a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in?"

"Of course. Come on." I stood and held out my hand. She took it and stood. "Esme, make yourself at home. I'll be back after I get everything for Bella."

"Take your time." She waved me off dismissively with a tender smile as I led Bella to the stairs.

It was silent as we ascended the stairs, and I led Bella into my room. I encouraged her toward the bathroom so I could retrieve clothes for her to sleep in. I took a pair of my boxer briefs and undershirt from the dresser. The shower was turned on, and I made my way to the door where I knocked and waited for her to invite me in. Her voice was quiet and she sounded tired when she answered me. When I walked in, she was at the vanity leaning forward with her hands braced on the counter. She'd twisted her hair up and secured it with one of the clips she left here. For the first time, I took in what she was wearing. Her shirt clung to her body from dampness. Her legs were covered by thin workout pants. That helped explain why she was so cold. It may be warmer than usual outside, but without enough coverage, spending hours on the concrete porch in cooler temperatures could seep into your skin.

I moved to her side placing the clothes on the counter before retrieving two towels and placing them on the towel warmer. Steam was billowing from the shower so I reached inside to feel the water. It was hot enough to burn my hand, so I turned the temperature down enough that it wouldn't scald her. Once it was at an acceptable temperature, I moved back over to where she hadn't moved an inch. I placed my hand on her back gently, and her shoulders raised slightly. My desire to help her relax was strong, hating to see her stressed in anyway. She deserved only good things. She shouldn't have to deal with all of this. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the back of her neck softly. She shivered and released a shuddering breath before turning around, wrapping her arms around me, and leaning her head against my chest. I wrapped myself around her tightly, and rested my chin on her head. We stayed that way for a few minutes before I backed away and lifted her chin gently so she was looking at me.

"Have a shower and relax, okay?" I told her with a smile. "I'm going to go see everyone out." She nodded before pressing onto her toes and kissing me quickly. I didn't push her for more. I couldn't imagine how she felt in this moment. "I'll be back as soon as I can." I left her there and returned to the living room unhurriedly. Esme and Carlisle were in the kitchen and said Mrs. Spencer had left feeling like we needed the time alone. I was honestly thankful she wasn't here, because I could feel my anger building. If I couldn't reign it in, I didn't want Mrs. Spencer to see that. I cleared my throat. "What now?"

"We have a team on the ground at Pike Place and surrounding areas," Carlisle answered immediately. He took a seat on one of the barstools. "They're looking for Lars Schmitz and known associates. We also have teams headed to the airport and the port in case they were planning on leaving today. Garren is trying to get in contact with Luca to see what the organization knows, if they even know anything. This could be a simple reconnaissance mission."

"There is nothing _simple_ about this. They're here. _He's _here. Bella is only in this situation, because we kept this from her. You saw what this did to her. Do you still think you made the best decision? _For her?_" I spit the words out, sickened that I even let them convince me to keep the information to myself.

"What's done is done. We'll get with the team tomorrow to map out a new plan. Until we know what's next, Bella gets a shadow." Esme sighed by the sink where she had just finished washing the few dishes we'd used.

"Really? A shadow? A lot of good that does us now. She should have had a bodyguard the minute you even suspected they were here. You should have done something!"

"Honey, you know this isn't what we wanted," Esme said as she walked over to me and placed a hand on my arm. "If I had my way, we'd have apprehended that man months ago and dismantled that organization along with it. This is real life though, and in real life, we don't always get our way. Things happen that are cruel and often incomprehensible. We have to do things we don't like, and sometimes we make mistakes. What happened to Bella…it makes me sick. No one, _no one,_ deserves to experience that. We did what we thought was best for Bella at the time. Maybe that was a mistake." She shook her head. "It was a mistake. We can't change it though, so we have to move forward. More than anything, I want Bella safe. That's the first thing we're going to do, and in this case, it requires a guard. After the team has met, I think it's time we call Bella into it as long as that's what she wants." The vice around my heart loosened a little.

"Thank you," I breathed out.

"Es," Carlisle said quietly. "Let's head home. We need to get a guard assigned and ready to start in the morning. Then tomorrow's going to be a long day of debriefing and planning." I released her and stepped back. "Edward, can you meet us tomorrow when the team assembles?"

"I'll call Steven in the morning and have him reschedule my day. Just let me know what time to be there."

I walked them to the door and locked up after they left the driveway. I went back to check the patio doors before setting the security alarm and heading upstairs. I paused before heading into my room and just leaned my head against the wall. I was so worried about how Bella would react when she discovered we knew. We deserved whatever anger she had, but I wasn't looking forward to it. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and stepped inside. I didn't see her, but I could hear the shower was off. I made my way into the closet and changed into pajama pants before heading for the bathroom.

"Bella?" I asked softly. I didn't want to walk in on her unexpectedly. Privacy in the bathroom was important. She had revealed it was a place she was tormented by the men in Germany.

I went inside once she invited me. She was sitting on the chair at the vanity dressed for bed trying to brush her hair. I took the brush from her and began working through the tangles of her damp hair. Her eyes drooped lower as she tried to fight the sleep trying to overtake her. Once I could smoothly run the brush through her hair, I coaxed her to stand and led her back to the bed. She leaned her hip against the nightstand as I pulled the sheets down for her then she crawled inside. Before I could pull away, she grabbed my hand.

"Don't leave," she said sleepily.

"I'm not going to," I assured her. "Give me just a few minutes. I'll be right back." She hesitated before releasing her grip on me. I rushed to the bathroom and hurried through taking my meds, brushing my teeth, and other human needs so that I could get back to her quickly. I expected her to be asleep when I returned, but as I tried to gently slip under the covers, she scooted over so that she was directly on my side then threw her leg and arm over me. I wrapped my arm under her pillow and held her to me. "I'm sorry about-"

"No," I interrupted her immediately. "You have nothing to apologize for." I turned to kiss her on the head. "Why don't you try and get some sleep? It's been a very long day. We can talk more about it tomorrow, but for now you need your rest."

"Thank you." She squeezed me around the waist. "Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

**AN 06/14/2019: Go Bella for that little display of affection! Carlisle, in my opinion, didn't need to ask if she was sure. I think it's safe to say she would know Lars when she saw him. ****Some of y'all brought up the fact that Bella should have a bodyguard, and it looks like that's going to happen sooner rather than later. Who do you think it will be? **

**Edward is such a great guy to take care of her in whatever capacity she needs. There's something I've always found so intimate about a man brushing your hair for you, especially in a caring manner. He's holding it together so well for her; though, we did see him have a moment where he needed to take a breath. **

**On a 100% completely unrelated note - I just realized that there are only six months left in this decade. This decade! What...the...heck? Sorry, I just had to share. **


	25. Chapter 25

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_No," I interrupted her immediately. "You have nothing to apologize for." I turned to kiss her on the head. "Why don't you try and get some sleep? It's been a very long day. We can talk more about it tomorrow, but for now you need your rest."_

"_Thank you." She squeezed me around the waist. "Love you."_

"_Love you too."_

* * *

It had been two months since Bella saw Lars at Pike Place. Two very tense, nerve-wracking months. The day after she saw Lars, we had gone to the FBI office to meet with the team, and Bella was introduced to Jane, her new shadow. Jane was a former Army Ranger and held a black belt in Taekwondo as well as Judo and Krav Maga. She was a bit rough around the edges, but Bella liked her. Jane also insisted Bella continue her self-defense training, but she took it over claiming it would be something they could do in their down time.

Understandably, Bella didn't take it well when she learned we had known there was a possibility Lars was in Seattle and did not tell her. I'd never seen her so angry before. She pushed out of her chair so hard it crashed to the floor. When she tried to leave and someone grabbed her arm, we all watched in amazement as she took them to the ground. She didn't even spare the man on the ground a second glance as she told Jane she wanted to leave. When I stepped forward, she shook her head once breaking my heart. I didn't blame her though, and my anger at the team, at my aunt and uncle, grew even more.

It took two weeks and a few therapy sessions for Bella to work through it enough that she'd speak to me on a regular basis. It took almost a month before she starting speaking to Carlisle and Esme in a capacity outside of the investigation, and even then it was infrequent and stilted. As for Agent Acker, she still wasn't speaking to him. At all. He had threatened me with criminal charges, and for that, she had not forgiven him.

Today was a happy day though. There was no thought of the investigation or the threat that still lingered. For one night, tonight only, I'd convinced Bella to forget about it all. It was her birthday, and I had every intention to spoil her rotten…or at least as much as I could get away with. She deserved all the good in the world, and if I could give her a fraction of that, I would.

"You better not have some big party planned," she said as she opened the door once I'd knocked.

"Well, hello to you too," I greeted her with a chuckle. At least, I was chuckling until I looked her over. A tight black cocktail dress clung to her every curve. And there were curves. She'd gained muscle from her workouts, and it was paying off. An intricate lace covered her neck and chest before the solid, silky looking material became solid and fell to mid-thigh. The dress was very flattering, but it covered her completely. It left everything to the imagination, and perhaps that was why it was so enticing. I _knew_ what was underneath, but every man that saw her would be wondering. That made the caveman in me quite happy. "You look absolutely breathtaking." She tried to hide her smile but couldn't so she looked away as she mumbled a 'thank you'. "Happy birthday, Bug."

"We're not talking about that," she mumbled before pulling me into her for a kiss. When she began to pull away, I wrapped my arms around her and held her in place as I let my lips linger. She sighed and melted into my chest. Eventually, I let her tilt her head away and look up at me. "We could stay here and do more of this." I had to pull away so I wasn't laughing directly in her face.

"It isn't going to be painful. You'll enjoy it; I promise." She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, and it made me smile. This was the most lighthearted I'd seen her in months. "None of that. Don't be a spoilsport. Trust me. You won't be disappointed."

After retrieving her coat from the condo, I led her down to the car with Jane not far behind. Phillip greeted us with a smile wishing her a happy birthday. She graciously accepted the sentiment, which I pointed out she didn't do for me. That drew a smirk from her but no comment. She tried to get me to reveal our destination a few times during the car ride, but I managed to redirect the conversation each time. Before long, the car pulled to a stop and Phillip opened the door helping Bella from inside. When I stepped onto the sidewalk, I was caught off guard when Bella's weight hit me causing me to rock back.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she chanted. "I can't believe you brought me to Lola. This is one of the last places of Tom's we haven't hit yet. Thank you!" I smiled and hugged her back.

"You're very welcome." After our Valentine's dinner catered by Chef Tom Douglas, Bella decided we needed to try all of his restaurants. After tonight, we would only have the Brave Horse Tavern and Etta's left. "Let's head inside."

I gave the hostess my name, and she smiled widely upon hearing it. She relayed a message from Tom that he wanted to wish Bella a happy birthday and planned to visit the table if he had time to that night. Once the message had been passed along, she led us to the back room. I stepped through the door first and turned to watch Bella's reaction.

"Happy birthday!" For a few moments, Bella's startled expression worried me. Had I gone too far? Quickly though, she smiled at everyone in the room, and my worry dissipated. I chuckled when she reached over and thumped me in the chest without any weight behind it.

"I told you no party," she sighed.

"It's dinner, not a party," I clarified. She rolled her eyes at me before leaning forward and pressing her lips to mine. Not only did the heels make her legs look killer, they also brought her closer to my height. I could kiss her longer without having to worry about her pulling away. I finally pulled my lips from hers though when I heard Charlie clear his throat. "Let's go say hi to everyone." I helped her out of her coat then motioned for her to go ahead of me.

Charlie, Sue, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice sat around the table with empty chairs for Bella and I. Bella was making her way around the table hugging everyone. I followed behind thanking them for helping me make the birthday special for her. Alice was the last in line, and Bella kissed her cheek warmly before reaching for the bundle in her arms.

"Pass her over," Bella said with a bright smile. "Hi, Maelyn. Come see Aunt Bella." Alice handed over her daughter with a tender smile. "You're one month old today, little one. Isn't that exciting? This is your dinner too. I declare it." I smiled as I watched her interaction with the baby. It had taken a few weeks for Bella to determine what her true feelings were about Alice having a child. Once she did though, she was all in. She spoiled Alice in any way she could, and once Maelyn was born, she doted on the little girl too. Watching her with Maelyn did things to me. I pictured her with another baby one day, one that meant a little more to her than Maelyn.

"Sir," a voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see the waiter. "May I get you something to drink?"

"Water, please," I told him after clearing my throat. I turned to Bella to ask what she would like before turning back to the waiter. "Tea for her, please."

He nodded before leaving the room. I turned back to listen to Bella coo at the baby, but Charlie interrupted me. We talked about our upcoming fishing trip we had scheduled next month. All of us guys were going, so it should be an interesting trip. Emmett and I had grown close over the last year with him serving as Bella's protection for the first several months. He would be new to the overall group, but I suspected all would go well.

"Do you have the boat booked, or did you buy it?" Charlie asked with a chuckle. Ever since Valentine's Day, he liked to tease me about my "toys" as Bella referred to them.

"Yes, it's been _booked_," I said with a smirk. "I wasn't able to get the larger boat though. Hopefully it won't be a problem."

"What boat did we end up with?"

"It's a Viking Sportfish. The 98-foot was already reserved, so we ended up with the 76-foot." Charlie just stared at me for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"I think we'll survive."

The waiter returned with our drinks and two others followed him with trays. Various plates were set around the table while he explained the spreads were courtesy of Chef Douglas. Bella tried to refuse, but the waiter was hearing none of it. We thanked them and began sampling all the wonderful food. Bella's favorite was the Roasted Sweet Red Pepper spread. She closed her eyes and moaned when she ate it, and I had to shift in my seat.

After everyone ordered their meal, we decided to start with presents. Bella was completely embarrassed by the attention, but she did her best to be a good sport. Alice and Jasper gave her a beautiful sapphire necklace that Bella had apparently commented on when she was with Alice on a shopping trip. Charlie and Sue gave her a certificate to have her diploma custom framed which made her choked up. Unable to contain my excitement, I gave her my present. She opened it up, and once she saw it, her breath hitched. She held it to her chest and looked at me with watery eyes.

"Is it not okay?" I asked alarmed.

"Five stars," she said, her voice thick with emotion. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine.

"What? What is it?" Alice asked giddily. Bella pulled away after whispering she loved me. Bella turned it around so the table could see the embroidered notebook. "IMC Threat Assessment and Securities. What's that?" Bella had decided she was ready to tell everyone about her business. I thought this would be a good way to prompt her to do so.

"It's my company."

"What?" Charlie asked.

"Well, the company I want to start." She went on to explain what she'd been working on for so long. Everyone was interested and supportive of her dream. She had been a bit nervous about telling them, but I knew it would go well. Once she finished explaining, she looked over at me once again. "Thank you so much."

"That's not even the main gift." I was beyond excited to give her this. "Open it up." She looked at me curiously before unzipping it and opening it up. It took her a moment to read over the first few lines before it registered to her. She laid the notebook on the table with shaky hands before running a finger over the text. I couldn't keep my grin contained. Her breath left her in a rush before she looked over at me.

"Is this?" She looked back at the papers before meeting my eyes once again while biting her lip. I nodded. Her lip trembled as tears filled her eyes. "I-" A soft sob broke through before she leaned forward and threw her arms around me. I returned her embrace with a chuckle.

"What? What? What?" Alice asked excitedly. Maelyn fussed for a second from the excitement until Alice bounced her to calm her down.

"It's a contract," I explained when I realized Bella was too choked up to speak. "MC Incorporated wants to invest in the start up of IMC." Everyone got excited and began congratulating Bella. They were passing her around the table for hugs while she tried to dry her eyes. When she hugged her dad then moved on to Sue, I realized Esme was standing in the doorway. I hadn't invited her, so I was surprised to see her. When she looked up and met my eyes, she gave me a heartbreaking look. She opened the door to the private dining room and stuck her head out for a second. Quickly, Jane walked into the room and shut the door. My heart dropped. "What's going on?"

"We need to go," she said without explanation. "We need to go to the office. Now."

* * *

**AN 06/16/2019: A lot going on this chapter, so I'd like to hear what you thought. Bella took quite a while to come to terms with being lied to/betrayed. I don't blame her though. They broke her trust. Seems she's still on the outs with Carlisle and Esme seeing as they were not at her birthday dinner. Alice had her baby - woohoo! Bella seems to be loving life as an aunt. :) I've always enjoyed being an aunt. You get to play with them, love them, be the best friend, hype them up on sugar and send them home to mom and dad. Ha! Then Edward's investing in IMC, which probably doesn't surprise anyone. CoppertopJ was so very kind and created a logo for IMC that is absolutely spot on. Check it out on my Facebook page - Lena Kay - and leave her some love. **

**To the guest reviewer that's been with this story for quite a while now: You have brought grammar issues and spelling mistakes to my attention throughout this story. That doesn't bother me, though your delivery could use a little work. I don't mind when people point that out and help me fix it. However, I don't appreciate your attitude and unnecessary criticism of my writing style or choice of words. My story. My choice. You are not my friend, editor, or trusted advisor. I'm not soliciting that type of advice from you so keep it to yourself. And now you're criticizing the way I write my authors notes? Ha! Honestly, you made me laugh at the one. If things are bothering you so much that you feel the need to badger me behind an anonymous review, I _encourage_ you to leave the story. There's enough negativity in this world that we don't need one more asinine troll in this place that so many of us use as an escape from people and attitudes similar to what you've displayed. **


	26. Chapter 26

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_When she hugged her dad then moved on to Sue, I realized Esme was standing in the doorway. I hadn't invited her, so I was surprised to see her. When she looked up and met my eyes, she gave me a heartbreaking look. She opened the door to the private dining room and stuck her head out for a second. Quickly, Jane walked into the room and shut the door. My heart dropped. "What's going on?"_

"_We need to go," she said without explanation. "We need to go to the office. Now."_

* * *

Bella stared absently out the window, her hand in mine, as I drove to the FBI field office. She was calm and polite at the restaurant as Esme apologized to everyone at the dinner explaining only that an emergency required our presence at the office. Charlie's intuition told him something was wrong, but he remained composed on the outside when he looked at Bella. He didn't want to worry her. He did pull me to the side, however, and make me promise to call as soon as I could. I assured him I would be in contact before walking Bella to the car and leaving quickly. Jane followed in the car behind.

"Hey, Bug," I said softly pulling Bella's attention to me. "Everything's going to be okay." I pulled her trembling hand up to kiss. She tried to smile at me, but it fell flat. "You're safe. You will be safe. Let's just wait to see what they have to say before jumping to any conclusions." She took a deep breath and held it before releasing it in a rush.

"Okay," she agreed, but there wasn't much conviction behind it. She dropped my hand and reached up to rub the back of her neck. That happened often when she was uncomfortable.

"Can I ask you a question about that?" She looked at me for a few seconds before what she was doing registered.

"Oh!" She shifted in her seat. "Okay?"

"Do you think you would want that removed?" It had crossed my mind a few times since we returned and, I was honestly surprised she hadn't brought it up before.

"I've thought about it about a thousand times." She took my hand again and squeezed. "I hate that they marked me. They think it dehumanizes me, makes me an object." She shook her head at the thought. "If I get rid of it, though, I'd be erasing what happened to me. I can't ignore it. It happened to me. It happened to thousands of other people and is _still_ happening to people. The public needs to know. I'm not able to talk about it to others yet, but one day…one day, I want to teach others what is happening and how to fight it." She kept my hand in hers while she pointed a finger to her neck. "This is my life. This is my story." Thank God we were at a stop light. I leaned over and pulled her to me for a kiss.

"You're amazing." I kissed her again. "You're so strong, and you're going to change lives." She looked down as she bit her lip. I sat back in my seat when someone honked their horn and drove away.

When we arrived at the office, I parked in the underground cage as Esme had instructed. The guard at the gate let us in once he'd verified our identity and instructed me to park near the elevator. Bella waited for me to open the door for her. When I helped her out of the car, she moved against my side and stayed suctioned there through the elevator ride and down the hall to the team's command center. I kept my arm wrapped around her hoping it was offering even a little bit of comfort.

As we stepped inside of the command center, we walked into a flurry of activity. Carlisle, Esme, every member of the team, and at least six others I didn't recognize were racing around the room. Bella's shoulders tensed under my touch, so I pulled her to a corner that would allow us to stay out of the action. I urged her to sit down so we could wait for Esme to fill us in when she could. Bella did as I suggested, but she remained silent the entire time. I rested my arm on the back of her chair and ran my fingers through her silky soft hair. Ten minutes later, we were still waiting for someone to clue us in.

"I need to go the restroom," Bella said as she stood from her seat. I stood along with her. "You can stay here. It's just down the hallway." She laid her hand on my arm. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Promise." I nodded and watched her walk out of the room. I hated how distant she'd been in the car, but I could understand it too. I mean for fucks sake, we still didn't know why we were here.

"Edward, where's Bella?" Carlisle asked a few minutes later interrupting me from my thoughts.

"What?"

"Where's Bella?" His voice was urgent. "Where is she?"

"She said she was going to the restroom. Why? What's going-" We were interrupted by a commotion in the hallway. Carlisle turned immediately and headed for the door, and I was right on his heels. Deep down, I knew something was wrong with Bella. It had to be. Why else would they have brought us here to the office?

"Don't touch me!" I heard Bella yell as Carlisle opened the door. The fear in her voice hurried my steps along. When I made my way around Carlisle, the scene that greeted me was shocking. Two agents were holding a large man that was struggling against them. Another agent was holding Bella away as she kicked at the man. What in the world? This just wasn't like the Bella I knew. Then the two agents turned our way and began dragging the man away. After a few steps, I saw his face, and my anger rose. It was Lars. "Let me go. Let me go. Let me go." Bella's chant drew my attention away from the bastard. Her eyes were closed, and her lips trembled along with her voice. "Let me go. Let me go." I hurried over to them and held her arms.

"Let her go," I ordered the agent. He looked behind me before releasing his grip on Bella's waist. She scrambled away from him tripping over my foot. I caught her before she fell and pulled her into my embrace. "I've got you." Her breath was ragged, and I could tell she was trying to hold back her tears. "Breathe. Deep breaths."

"He's here. He's here," she said as she gasped each breath. "What is he doing here? Why is he here? How is he here? What's going on? What's happening?" Her questions were rapid fire, not a breath between the words. "Did they find me? Are they after me? Are they going to take me? Did-"

"Bella, Bella, Bella. Breathe, please. Breathe." I rubbed her back in slow circles. "Slow breaths, Bella. Please. Please, stay calm." Her whole body was trembling against mine. "Come on, Bella. Calm down, Bug. You're worrying me. Don't pass out." It took several minutes, but eventually, she calmed down somewhat, though the trembling continued.

"Let's get back into the room," Esme said from behind me in a soft, calm voice.

"Too many people," Bella whispered.

"I've cleared out everyone besides the team. We want to fill you in on what's happened and answer any questions you have."

I led Bella back into the command center and to a chair that Carlisle pulled out for her at a table. He pulled another chair next to it for me, and I sat beside her. She grabbed my hand as soon as I was settled and gripped it tightly. Someone sat a water bottle in front of her, and she reached for it. Her hands were shaking, so she couldn't open the lid. I pulled my hand from hers and twisted the cap off holding it out for her. The water sloshed over the side, so I took the bottle and held it to her lips tilting it slowly. She took a few gulps before settling back in the chair.

We waited in silence as the team continued to move around the room but at a much more measured pace. No one tried to speak to her, and she spent the next hour just staring at the tabletop. I didn't want to rush her, and no one else seemed in a rush either. I was happy to see that Daisy hadn't made a reappearance. If there was anything that would have coaxed her out, I would expect it would be seeing Lars again. Bella was strong, though, and getting stronger every day. Eventually, Bella looked around the room, but confusion colored her face at one point. I turned to see her staring at a man that was not part of the team in the corner.

"I should introduce myself," he said. "I'm Luca." Bella's breath hitched. "I've been on the inside."

"Wh…what are you doing here then?" Luca moved to sit in a chair on the other side of Bella, but he kept a distance between them. I was thankful for that. He seemed to understand that he was still a stranger to her.

"I came here with a group from the organization. Kurt Fischer, the leader of the organization – my direct boss for the last few years – sent me and a team of men here to pick up a new set of girls." Bella leaned back against me heavily. The rest of the team moved to take seats around the table. Esme came in the room. I hadn't even realized she was missing at first. "Arlo took 12 girls, and was holding them in a warehouse outside of the city. Arlo Newman, by the way. We found him thanks to you, and we've been watching him for months. With this last order, we had enough to take him down. To take it down." My heart skipped a beat.

"Down?" Bella whispered.

"Down." He smiled at her softly. "Dismantled."

"I…I d-don't understand."

"It's over. They're over." Bella turned to look at me for a moment, but I didn't have anything to add. This was news to me.

"Over." She turned back to Luca. "Done?" He nodded.

"Arlo is in custody awaiting trial. A few of his henchmen are also awaiting trial, but the rest…didn't survive the takedown. About six hours ago, a team raided the compound when we knew Kurt would be on site and another took the club. The men that survived the raid have all been taken into custody. Four of us where sent here to retrieve the girls. Lars was the only one to survive."

"The girls?" Her hand gripped me tightly.

"They're all fine and safe." Bella sniffed, and I rubbed her back soothingly. Of course, she'd be worried about them. "They're being interviewed, and the families have been contacted. They're on the way."

"It's over." She tilted her head like she was trying to digest the news. "I don't have to worry anymore? No one's looking for me?" Luca shook his head. Bella turned to look at me but remained quiet for a moment then promptly burst into tears. I pulled her against my chest and rocked her softly as she let go of the emotion she'd been bottling up for what was probably years.

* * *

**AN 06/19/2019: Some of y'all were very worried, but it was good news! Lars is in custody, the organization, and most were killed. I don't think we're shedding many tears over that. This is going to allow Bella a peace of mind she hasn't experienced yet. What do you think Bella will be like now that the organization is dismantled? **

**This chapter also answers a popular question from earlier in the story - whether Bella would remove the tattoo. Smooch119 articulated perfectly the reason behind my choice to have Bella keep the tattoo. Smooch said, "I'm sure you are aware but during WW2, the Holocaust, the Germans tattooed their victims sent to certain concentration camps. They did it for many reasons, one being it was against the Jewish religion. Almost none of the survivors removed their tattoos. It is a reminder of what happened and what could happen again. They show them to anyone who will look so others know what can happen if we aren't paying attention." I hope this helps explain why I went the way I did. And what do you think about Bella's eventual plan to tell her story, show her tattoo? **


	27. Chapter 27

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

_"The girls?" Her hand gripped me tightly._

_"They're all fine and safe." Bella sniffed, and I rubbed her back soothingly. Of course, she'd be worried about them. "They're being interviewed, and the families have been contacted. They're on the way."_

_"It's over." She tilted her head like she was trying to digest the news. "I don't have to worry anymore? No one's looking for me?" Luca shook his head. Bella turned to look at me but remained quiet for a moment then promptly burst into tears. I pulled her against my chest and rocked her softly as she let go of the emotion she'd been bottling up for what was probably years._

* * *

I looked out the doors to the patio as I waited for the skillet to heat up. Bella was on the loveseat with a blanket wrapped around her. A sigh escaped me at the scene. She'd been in pretty much the same spot for the last three days. Once she'd stopped crying at the FBI field office, she demanded to see the girls. The team wanted to talk with her, fill her in, but she was having none of it. She yelled at them saying she'd find the girls herself if they wouldn't help. When Garren tried to talk to her, undoubtedly to tell her no, she glared him into silence. Luca stepped forward and told her to follow him. He guided us through hallways, locked doorways, and elevators. Eventually, we arrived outside of what looked like a living room that could accommodate quite a crowd. There were ten young, frightened girls inside. They were so _young_. The realization that Bella was just as young when taken was gut-wrenching.

After hours at the office, Bella wanted to stay with them until their family had arrived, she asked me to bring her to Bainbridge. I brought her straight here, and other than the nights when she curled onto my body tightly, she spent her time on the patio staring over the water. When the second day rolled around, I called Rosalie to see if she'd pick up clothes for Bella at the condo. I didn't want to leave her alone. She'd barely spoken more than two sentences at a time, and I was just worried. Jeanine told me to give it time, that she was just trying to reconcile everything this meant to her.

"Patience, Edward," I murmured to myself as I turned back to the stove and began to make breakfast. I scrambled the eggs, the only food Bella had requested. After flipping the burner off, I took our plates and drinks outside. I stood in front of her for a moment before she realized I was there then held the plate towards her. She looked up at me and puckered her lips. Unable to resist her, I bent down and pressed mine to hers for a long kiss. She pulled back and looked at me for a long moment before sighing.

"I love you," she said. I kissed her again.

"I love you too."

She scooted to the side and patted the seat beside her. I took my seat, and she immediately moved back over until she was against my side. We ate in silence enjoying the stillness of the water and the colors painted in the sky from the recent sunrise. Once she was done eating, I sat the plates beside us then placed my arm around her. It wasn't freezing outside, but it was still pretty cold. She rested her head against my chest pulling her feet underneath her. We sat there for at least an hour, and I had to stop myself multiple times from asking her how she was. _Patience, Edward._

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I wanted to ignore it. I had told Stephen to clear my schedule for the week and to only call if the building was on fire. Sandy was checking in with him periodically, so I knew things would be fine. My focus this week was Bella. I wouldn't leave her if I didn't have to. When it rang for the third time, I sighed knowing I should answer. I was surprised to see my aunt's name flashing on the screen.

"Hi, Esme," I greeted. Bella turned to look at me curiously.

"Hi, Edward," she returned, but her tone was serious. "Are you still with Bella?"

"She's right here beside me."

"Why don't you put me on speaker?" I did as she asked, and Bella greeted her. "How are you doing today, Sweet Girl?" Bella smiled. She may not have fully forgiven Esme, but Bella loved how Esme gave us matching nicknames.

"I'm okay." She paused a second. "Better. I'm just trying to figure out how to trust that this is over."

"I can imagine it's a lot to take in." She sighed heavily causing me to worry about the purpose of the call. "It looks like we're going to have a very solid case against the ones who are still alive. Luca will be submitting his statement, and if necessary, he'll take the stand. I'm trying my damnedest to ensure you won't have to get involved with the trial. None of us want you to have to go through any more than is necessary." There was a pregnant pause, and Bella wrapped her arm around my waist.

"Okay?"

"Surprisingly, Lars Schmitz has agreed to testify against the other men." I fought very hard to keep myself from tensing up. I didn't want to cause Bella more stress, but this didn't feel right.

"But?" By the tone of Bella's question, I knew she was suspicious of the news as well. There wasn't an immediate answer. "What, Esme? I'm sure there's a catch."

"He has one demand before he talks." Dread filled me already knowing the answer. Why else would she be calling for Bella? "He wants to see you, to speak with you."

"No!" I barked immediately unable to rein in my fear and anger. "That bastard can rot in hell before he gets within 100 yards of her. I don't care-"

"Okay," Bella whispered, cutting me off.

"What?" My heart was pounding at the thought and my stomach churned. I turned so I was looking directly at her.

"Okay. I'll do it." I laid the phone in my lap so I could hold her face in my hands. I hadn't realized until then that they were shaking.

"You don't have to do this. They shouldn't ask this of you. Bella, please, I don't want to see you hurt."

"I know, and I love you for it. I can do this though. I _need_ to do this. I've actually been thinking about it. Don't you think I have a few things to say as well?" She reached up and rested her hands over mine. "I'd like to give that man a piece of my mind. This way, I can do it. Safely. No one's going to let him hurt me." I slid my hands to the back of her neck and pulled her to rest her forehead against mine. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself. All I could see was him hurting her. "Please, Edward. I need this." As if I could deny her anything, especially in that pleading tone. "Trust me." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"She's right, Edward," Esme said, reminding me she was on the phone. "We won't let anything happen to her. He'll be cuffed by the hands and legs this time. We'll also attach his cuffs to the table. And she controls the meeting. If she wants to leave, she can walk out of the room at any time."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Bella said before saying goodbye and ending the call. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine, rubbing her hands over mine that were still gripping her. "Come on. Let's get this over with." I nodded once before standing, pulling her to her feet and straight into my arms. I just needed to feel her, to be reassured that she was here, safe. "This is almost over. Let's get it done."

~~LBSS~~

The atmosphere was heavy when we walked into the command center. There were even more people present than usual, and I could tell they were working on building the case files. Esme looked up as the door squeaked and hurried over to us immediately pulling Bella into a hug. Bella tensed and hesitated for a second then held Esme just as tightly, and they remained that way for a long moment. Eventually, Esme pulled back and smiled at Bella sadly.

"Are you sure?" she asked. I could tell she meant it; she wouldn't force Bella if she wasn't in agreement. Bella immediately nodded. "Do you want to wait a-" Bella shook her head before Esme finished her sentence. "Come with me then." She grabbed Bella's hand and turned to the door. Bella grabbed mine with her other hand and gripped it firmly. I rubbed my thumb over her hand wanting to offer any comfort I could. "Let's go in here first." Esme held the door open and we walked into a room we'd never been in before. There was a large window on the wall, and through it we could see him. Bella's grip tightened to the point that it hurt, but I wasn't about to say anything. "He can't see you. This is a one-way mirror. We're doing this on your timetable. Whenever you're ready. There's no rush."

Bella hadn't looked away from the mirror since we entered the room. Her tiny hand trembled in mine, and I could see the other one shaking. I reached over carefully, took her free hand into mine, and held onto her. Her gaze never wavered, but her breath sped up until she was panting shallowly. Each little gasp tore my heart a little more. She didn't deserve this. She shouldn't have to go through with this. I tried to give her time, but I was itching to do something, _anything._

"Honey, please," I said quietly. "What can I do?" Her eyes met mine, and I could see the tears gathered in them. My heart sank when she shook her hands from my grasp, but she immediately stepped towards me wrapping her arms around my waist.

"H-hold me," she stuttered. "P-please." I wrapped my arms tightly around her. I could do this for her.

"I've got you." I rocked her slowly and breathed deep hoping she'd use me as a guide and match my breaths. I ran my hand slowly over her back. "I'm right here." She sniffled, and I laid my cheek on top of her head. "You're safe. Absolutely safe." After a few minutes in silence, she pulled back. I loosened my grip just enough to let her lean back and look up at me.

"Do you think I can do this?" I wanted to tell her no. I wanted to pick her up, carry her to the car, and get us the hell away from this place. That's what I wanted, but I knew it wasn't what she needed.

"You can do absolutely anything you set your mind to. You are one of the strongest women, one of the strongest _people_ I know. You're capable of anything." She sniffled once more before reaching up and wiping the tears from her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Do you want me to go with you?" She shook her head once.

"He'll flip. We need him to cooperate with the investigation. That means we shouldn't provoke him." Rational. Of course, she was being rational and smart. For once, I wanted her to be selfish. She turned to Esme. "Okay. I need to get this over with." She nodded once then led Bella to the door. I held onto her hand until she stepped out of my reach and dropped my grip.

"You can stay here and watch Edward," Esme said. "I'll be back in a moment." Garren entered the room as they were stepping out. He tried to shake my hand in greeting, but I ignored him and kept my gaze trained on that room.

"It's going to be okay," he tried to assure me. When the door to the interrogation room opened, I tensed. Garren laid a hand on my shoulder in support, but it did nothing to calm my nerves. When that monster caught sight of Bella, he stood from his chair abruptly. Panic overtook me, and I turned to go get Bella out of the room. As Garren held me in place, I heard Esme speak in a harsher, more authoritative tone than I'd ever heard from her in my life.

"SIT. DOWN." I turned back to the mirror to see him glare at Esme before slowly lowering himself back down. "I told you already. Stay where you are the entire time she is in here. Do not touch her. You will not upset her, or this meeting is over. We have fulfilled our end of the agreement. She's here. No matter how long she remains in this room, you've agreed to testify. Do you understand?" It took a moment, but he eventually nodded curtly once. Esme turned to Bella. "This ends the second you want it to end. I'll be just outside. Let me know if you need anything." Bella nodded once before Esme left the room kicking my unease up a notch. Silence filled the air until he opened his mouth several minutes later.

"Schatzi," he breathed. "Daisy. I missed you." I clutched my stomach as nausea rolled through me.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said to no one in particular. Garren bent over then shoved a trash bin into my hands.

* * *

**AN 06/22/2019: Thank you to the readers that suggested Bella talk with the girls. I didn't go into details about their conversation, but that's something that will be explored at a later date. We start out with a pretty melancholy Bella, or maybe I should say reflective. She's brave though, agreeing to speak with Lars. I wonder if Esme has redeemed herself at all in your eyes with this chapter. She seems to finally be keeping Bella in mind rather than just the investigation. Hopefully that continues. Poor Edward. He's struggling hard with all of this, but he's trying to put on a brave face for Bella. I'd love to hear you thoughts about the happenings from this chapter. **


	28. Chapter 28

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Schatzi," he breathed. "Daisy. I missed you." I clutched my stomach as nausea rolled through me. _

"_I think I'm going to be sick," I said to no one in particular. Garren bent over then shoved a trash bin into my hands._

* * *

"Don't!" Bella spat. "You don't get to call me that."

"What?" he asked quietly with a shocked look on his face.

"Don't call me that. Sch-Schatzi. That's not me. I'm not your sweetheart." For a moment, his face was stricken, and a sense of satisfaction settled over me. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to hurt badly. For the first time, I took him in completely. He looked dejected. Not only did hearing her say that hurt him, he looked like he'd been put through the ringer. It was evident he'd fought back when the team took him down. He was resting on his left side, holding his ribs on the right side. His face was scraped in a few places, his eye was darkening from a bruise, and a cut had been dressed over his left eye. He'd fought back, but he'd obviously lost.

"I been looking for you. I have been so worried for you." She shook her head, but with her back to me, I couldn't see the look on her face.

"That cut over his eye?" Garren said with a satisfied smirk. "That was all your girl." I looked at him sharply. "She got a good one in when she passed him in the hallway the other day."

"Go, Bella," I told him as I smiled at the thought of her causing that monster some harm for a change. She deserved to be able to do so much more.

"Looking for me?" Bella said incredulously. I turned back to watch.

"Yes. All over Oregon. I knew you from there." He sat forward in his chair causing Bella to startle. "I look for you to help you, to take you home. I care about you, Daisy."

"Care? If you actually cared about me, we never would have…" She shook her head again. "This is so messed up." She seemed to say that to herself.

"I _do_ care about you. I love you." I couldn't take it. Hearing those words come out of his mouth, words that were only for me to say, I turned and hurled into the trash bin, my stomach spasming and expelling the little bit of food I'd had earlier. I felt Garren rest a hand on my shoulder then saw a box of tissues and water bottle in my periphery. I looked up to see Esme smiling at me sadly. I took the offered items and turned back to the mirror after placing the bin on the ground. I drank half the bottle in one gulp.

"That place. You. God, you don't even understand." She looked away, and I could see the tension in her shoulders. "You honestly don't understand. You _can't_ understand." She was speaking to herself.

"Understand what?" That monster asked her in such a pleading voice to explain what she meant, what should have been obvious. She didn't answer immediately. She didn't even turn back to look at him.

"No, no, no," I said and turned for the door when I watched him reach across the table to place his hand over hers. He didn't deserve to touch her. She didn't see the movement since she was staring off to the side. Garren, though, grabbed me and held me in place. Bella jumped and yanked her hand away upon contact and pushed further away from the table.

"Don't touch me!" He looked hurt before lowering his gaze. "You want to understand? You can't. Your mind is so warped," she tapped her temple roughly, "that you don't even see it for what it was. I was a prisoner, a slave." His breathing sped up at her words. "I was taken off the _street_ while walking home. Did you know that? I was _stolen. _I had to watch someone being killed in front of my eyes then forced onto a plane for God knew where at the time. I was purchased, _with money_, auctioned to the highest bidder to do with me as they pleased. Any my God, the things they did to me.

"Drugs were pumped into me without my consent over and over and over. I was _raped_ day in and day out by whoever would pay for it." He looked up at her with hardened eyes. "I was beaten, tortured, stabbed, broken. You…you raped me, you hit me, you hurt me." He was shaking his head as his nostrils flared. "You manipulated me. You bent me to your will. You told me it was normal. You made me…" She took a shuddering breath as she curled her hands into fists on top of the table. "You didn't care about me."

"I loved you," he interrupted and spat between clenched teeth, the vein in his neck throbbing visibly.

"That's not _love_. You didn't _love _me. You don't know what love is. No one would do that to someone they cared for. You're so damn delusional if you really believe that what went on there was normal."

"We both had job to do." She laughed then stood from her seat.

"This is over. I can't make you understand, and I don't care to try. You're not worth it." Lars pushed from his seat violently and stepped forward sending me into panic mode. The table skidded across the floor as he pushed it toward her.

"Stay here," Garren said as he released my arm and hurried out of the room. Everything in me wanted to run to her, but I knew if that bastard saw me, it would just fuel his anger more. I didn't want to do anything to make it worse for Bella. She had frozen in her spot, but within seconds, Garren was inside the room. He moved towards Lars and shoved him down in the chair. Bella finally snapped out of her trance and hurried from the room.

"Daisy! Daisy! Come back!" She walked straight into the room and into my arms. The look of terror on her face slayed me. She looked so lost as she walked in gulping breaths as she stumbled over her own feet. I grabbed her arms to keep her from falling and held her face so her gaze was on me.

"Look at me," I told her calmly. "Deep breaths." Her eyes darted from me to the mirror and back. "Slow breaths, Honey. Slow, deep breaths. Come on. Do it for me." Her gaze finally settled on mine, and she tried several times to get her breathing under control. I pulled her against me and turned her head against my chest so she couldn't see the mirror. I held her tightly rocking her back and forth. "You're okay," I assured her quietly. "You're safe. I've got you. I've always got you." Her whole body shuddered, and she took a step closer though we couldn't have been any closer to each other. I just held her to me telling her over and over that everything was going to be fine.

"Hey, Sweet Girl," Esme said quietly as she lay a hand on Bella's back. "It's done. You don't have to do that again." Bella nodded with her head still against my chest. "You two don't have to stay here any longer. You can go when you're ready."

"Thank you," Bella said quietly before looking up at me. "Take me home."

"Of course." I hesitated when I realized she may be talking about the condo.

"To Bainbridge. Take me home to Bainbridge." Overcome with emotion at her confession, I pressed my lips to hers. When I heard Esme sigh, I pulled back with a smile.

"Come on, Bug. Let's go home."

* * *

**AN 02/26/2019: Girl's got moxie! Do you like that she did some damage to Lars when she encountered him in the hallway? Are you surprised at Lars' reaction to what Bella had to say? Let me know what you thought. We're winding down this story. Only a few chapters left. **


	29. Chapter 29

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Thank you," Bella said quietly before looking up at me. "Take me home." _

"_Of course." I hesitated when I realized she may be talking about the condo. _

"_To Bainbridge. Take me home to Bainbridge." Overcome with emotion at her confession, I pressed my lips to hers. When I heard Esme sigh, I pulled back with a smile. _

"_Come on, Bug. Let's go home."_

* * *

Bella had been at Bainbridge with me for two weeks. She hadn't asked about Lars or the trial, and when Esme visited every other day, she didn't say. There was a peace about Bella that I had never seen before. I could only imagine how much of a weight was lifted from her shoulders knowing she didn't have to worry about those men anymore. She smiled quickly, joked often, and she'd been far more demonstrative with her affection than I could remember. I, of course, was not complaining. Seeing her this free was heart-warming.

"Hey, baby." That was new too. She'd been testing out pet names for me. This was one she seemed to keep coming back to.

"Yeah, Bug?" That one was still my favorite.

"I know you're busy. I was just wondering when I could have about twenty minutes of your time." I stood from my desk in my office and walked over to give her a kiss. It'd been a few hours since my lips last touched her, and I missed her.

"I always have time for you." She smiled.

"I need to show you something. I'm set up at the dining room table." I quirked a brow at her. Set up? She smirked. "Mind out of the gutter, mister." Admittedly, I hadn't gone there, but now I was letting my imagination run wild. She took my hand and pulled me to follow. I was surprised to find a set up at the table with two laptops, three large binders, and a notebook with what appeared to be computer code scribbled all over the pages.

"What's all this?" She motioned for me to sit, but she remained standing. She bit her lip and wrung her hands for a few seconds before clearing her throat.

"Don't be mad."

"Mad? I could never be mad at you, Bella." She tilted her head.

"We'll see about that." Before I could say anything, she picked up her notebook and continued. "So, you know what I want to do with IMC." I nodded. "It's great in theory, and I have no doubt it will work, but in order to secure funding, I need to _show_ that it will work, that I'm worth the investment." This was true. It was something I had been thinking about. I'd even talked to Kenzi about bank rolling it. We were working on redoing the budget so we could hire her as a consultant, give her a start on her portfolio. "That means someone's going to have to take a chance on me. You have done…so much for me. You have gone beyond what anyone-"

"Done."

"would expect you to. And-" She stopped mid-sentence, and looked at me sharply. "Wait. What?" I smiled at the high-pitched question. I had completely taken her off guard.

"Done. You're hired." She blew out a long breath. "I had already spoked to Kenzi. In the next two to three days, we were going to approach you about it. You just beat us to the punch." I watched as her eyes grew misty before she rushed forward and kissed me roughly.

"God, I love you so much." I held her face as her eyes shined.

"I love you, too. But this would have happened regardless." She pulled back and cleared her throat. "I believe in you, Bella. I know that you can do amazing things. I've always thought that."

"Remember, don't be mad." Now I was confused.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because I, uh. Well…I." She reached over and took the laptops out of sleep mode. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was looking at something familiar. "I sort of already started." I moved closer to see exactly what was on the screen.

"How did you get copies of our accounting records? Did you build a duplicate of our system? This seems so real."

"They're not copies." She smiled, but it was more of a grimace. "These _are _your records. That _is _your system." I just stared at her for a moment. How was she in my system from here, outside the building?

"My system?" She nodded. She was joking. She had to be joking. "My secure system." She nodded again. "One." I held up one finger. "One minute." I took my phone from my pocket and called Kenzi. She answered immediately, and I asked her to transfer funds from the general account to wages then back. She was very confused, but did as I asked. I sat astonished as I watched the movement in the ledger on my screen. "Thank you, Kenzi." I ended the phone call and looked at Bella in astonishment.

"I sort of…hacked you."

She watched me warily as I sat trying to process what she'd just told me. Hacked. I'd been hacked. Part of me understood why she was worried I'd be mad, but I couldn't be. This is what she did or rather would do. This would lead to enhanced security. Still, it was a hard pill to swallow.

"Okay."

"I didn't do anything to it. I promise," she rushed to assure me. "I'm a certified ethical hacker, remember? The good guy. Nothing is changed, and I didn't do anything freaky as a way to show you what could happen. I'm in. That's all that matters. I was able to get in. That's how we make this better; we keep people out."

"Bella." I sighed. "I would never think you did anything nefarious. You're not capable. I just…it's a lot to take in." She smiled ruefully. "Now, do your thing. What's next?"

Over the next fifteen minutes, Bella walked me through the vulnerabilities in the system. I will admit, there were moments she spoke above my head. I could use a computer, and I'd learned my way around our systems. This was beyond my knowledge though. Other than that, her presentation was excellent. She was thorough and concise. She was kind in her delivery of the not so pleasant parts, like when she was telling me where my company was lacking. Most importantly though, at least for me, was seeing her passion shine through. Her excitement was palpable, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"So, that's about it for your system," she said as she clasped her hands in front of her. "What do you think?"

"I think I love you."

"Edward." She tried to sound exasperated, but she was giggling.

"I think I didn't understand all of it, but I understood enough. I'm not as protected as I need to be."

"But I can get you there. I'll take care of you." I took her hand and pulled her into my lap.

"Of that, I have no doubt." I leaned forward to press my lips to hers, but she pulled away making me pout.

"Hey, mister. I'm not done yet." I was confused. Not done? "This was just the system. Now we need to go over the building assessment."

"Building?"

"Yes. There's more than just cyber security. There's physical security too. You own the floors your company occupies, right?" I'd never told her that, but it probably wasn't difficult to figure out; I liked to own things. She didn't wait for me to respond. "Remember when we talked about the security at the condo?" I nodded once. I didn't like thinking about that, how vulnerable she could have been. I'd bought that building when the owners weren't as cooperative as I'd hoped and implemented new security measures for the things she'd pointed out. "I've done the same for your floors." This couldn't have been a quick fix.

"How long have you been working on this?"

"About six weeks." I was astonished. She'd given no indication she'd been working on it. Bella pushed herself up from my lap and moved to sit beside me. She began typing, and I watched as my company computer system disappeared from the screen, and she opened building schematics. "Now, here's the sixteenth floor."

* * *

**AN 06/26/2019: Here's a little more about IMC! Bella's been quietly and secretively working on an assessment for Edward without his knowledge. Do you like that little peek into what will be her professional life? I think it means a lot that Edward had plans to hire her. She was thinking she was doing it as a favor, but he believed in her enough to hire her, pay money for her services and allow her to use him as both a guinea pig and a reference if all goes well. **

**There's one more regular chapter, an epilogue, and I have an outtake. The outtake is chapter 16 from Charlie's POV. It's the one where they arrive at Edward's house for Valentine's Day dinner. Some of y'all were interested to hear what Charlie was thinking. I hope you'll like it. **


	30. Chapter 30

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_Remember when we talked about the security at the condo?" I nodded once. I didn't like thinking about that, how vulnerable she could have been. I'd bought that building when the owners weren't as cooperative as I'd hoped and implemented new security measures for the things she'd pointed out. "I've done the same for the building." This couldn't have been a quick fix. _

"_How long have you been working on this?"_

"_About six weeks." I was astonished. She'd given no indication she'd been working on it. Bella pushed herself up from my lap and moved to sit beside me. She began typing, and I watched as my company computer system disappeared from the screen, and she opened building schematics. "Now, here's the sixteenth floor."_

* * *

The paperwork had been filed. The contracts had been finalized and blessed by legal counsel. Branding was complete, and the website was ready to go live. One job was officially in the books, and two clients were in the wings. All that was left was a push of the button. Literally.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I'm cut out for this. I don't know if I'm ready." She was staring down at the ground, but I could imagine the look on her face. And I wasn't having any of it.

"Look at me." I waited a few seconds giving her a chance to respond. "Hey." I reached forward and used my finger to lift her chin. It broke my heart to see tears welling up in her eyes. "None of that." She sniffed, and when one of those tears slid down her cheek, I wiped it away with my thumb. Once it was dry, I held her face so she had to look me in the eye. "You, Bella Swan, are absolutely ready for this." She bit her lip as I felt her try to look away, but I held her gaze gently. "You have done all the planning you can do. You have proved that you can do what you claim. It's time to jump, Bug. Take that leap of faith, and just do it."

"What if-"

"No," I said with a shake of my head. "I'm not going to let you 'what if' this to death."

"But I-"

"Nope. I'm not letting you 'but' it either. You won't fail. This is going to be more successful than your wildest dreams." She sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" I dropped my hands and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me back resting her cheek against my chest.

"Never. You know that. I will always be honest with you. If I didn't think this would work, or if I thought you weren't where you needed to be to do this, I would tell you. I only want what is best for you."

"I know." She said it in a slightly whiney voice causing me to smile. "I'm just being stupid." I opened my mouth to protest but she spoke again before I could say anything. "Not stupid. Just insecure."

"Can I tell you a secret?" She nodded. "I was terrified when I started my business." She leaned back to look up at me skeptically. "Honest. I was."

I pulled Bella outside to sit on the patio. I'd turned on the heater earlier knowing that we would end up out here at some point tonight. Thanksgiving was only a week ago, and the temperatures had dropped drastically. That wouldn't stop her from wanting to spend time out here though. Once she was seated, I took a blanket from the deck box and placed it over our laps once I sat beside her.

"I was young when I started my business," I told her after pulling her into my side. "I was full of ideas, plans, drive…and nerves." She giggled before tilting her head to rest on my shoulder. "It doesn't matter how sure a person is, nerves are a part of entrepreneurship. I knew deep in my bones that I could do what I planned. I had crossed every T and dotted every I. I had plan A then plan B, C, and D. I wasn't leaving anything to chance. But even with all that confidence and belief in myself, I was so nervous to take that last leap. What if no one gave me a chance? What if no one gave me the starting capital? What if I wasn't as smart as I thought I was? What if I tried and just failed?"

"You could never fail." I barked a laugh.

"You've never seen me try to play soccer." I snickered at the memories. "Anyway, I had all those same doubts you're having right now. I kept moving forward though, because Carlisle pushed me. He never once questioned my ability to succeed." I pulled back and turned her to look at me. "And I'm going to push you, because I know without an ounce of doubt that you are not only going to succeed, but you're going to flourish. You are one of the smartest people I know, smarter than me, Carlisle, hell – half the VPs at MC Inc. You're going to do better than you have ever imagined."

She reached up, held my face in her hands, and pressed her lips to mine. I held her head and kissed her back slowly enjoying the feel of her against me. Every time she kissed me, touched me, I savored it. She was a gift, and I cherished every minute with her. When she moved to crawl into my lap, I reluctantly held her in place. She raised a brow at me, and I huffed in irritation with her trying to distract me and myself for not letting her.

"We're not putting this off any longer," I told her. When she stuck her lip out in a pout, I couldn't hide my smile. "You're ready. I know you are. I believe in you." She released a long sigh and closed her eyes. I waited a few moments until she opened them, and I could see determination on her face.

"Okay. Let's do this."

"Hold that thought." I stood and hurried inside to grab the laptop and bring it back. She took it from my hands and waited until I was seated. The website was open and ready to go live. It just needed a click of the button. "Ready?" She nodded once. After a few seconds, she was still staring at the screen. "Bella? What-" She reached forward and clicked the button quickly.

"I did it!" She threw her hands over her face and laughed. Her enthusiasm fueled my own.

"You did!" She turned to me and threw her arms around my neck. I caught the computer before it fell and placed it on the ground before wrapping my arms around her in return. I felt her shiver in my arms and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go back inside. It's too cold out here." I turned off the heater and led her back inside, closing and locking the doors behind us. "Why don't…"

I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence before her lips captured mine. Her lips moved insanely slowly against mine, but that didn't diminish the passion behind her kiss. I planted my hands at the base of her back and pulled her firmly into my body as electricity zinged through me. Her hands found their way onto my face, and she touched me gently before sliding them into my hair, her nails scraping my scalp. When she moaned, I couldn't contain my groan knowing how much pleasure she found in me, in us. Her tongue found mine and retreated briefly before tasting me again. It was almost too much, but I also knew I could never get enough of her. My stomach was doing back flips, and I hoped she felt just as much as I did. Then she sucked my bottom lip between her teeth, and I was a goner. I reached down to pull her up and wrap her legs around my waist and carried her upstairs to the bedroom.

When I reached the bed, I tossed her down gently, and she laughed. I admired the view of her on my rumbled bed, hair fanned out around her, and legs propped up. I wanted to take my time undressing her, but she drove me crazy. I pulled her sweatshirt and those ridiculously short pajama pants from her body before quickly shedding my own lounge pants and shirt. When she reached up to pull me down, I shrugged off her hold, leaned down, and nipped the smooth skin on the inside of her thigh. I smiled in triumph at the moan that fell from her lips. As I moved my kisses up her body, I watched her throw her head back in ecstasy. The straining muscles of her neck were beautiful.

"Edward," she said breathily. "Please."

"You never have to beg with me, my love." I captured her swollen lips with mine, and she arched pressing every inch of her body to mine. "Just tell me what you need. Your wish is my command."

~LBSS~

For once my mind was calm without a thousand things fighting for my attention. Bella had it all. I lay slightly askew on the bed with one arm behind my head. She lay on her stomach draped over my chest as we both caught our breath. Her cheek rested on her hand as she watched the fingers of her other hand draw lazy, nonsensical patterns on my chest and shoulder. I caressed the smooth skin of her arm and upper back. It had taken quite a while for her to become comfortable with me touching her back, but I'd made it my mission to kiss and caress her fears and insecurities away. Her contented sigh pulled a smile from my lips.

"We should do that more often," she said through a yawn. I chuckled but agreed.

"I'll do that as often as you want," I told her as I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Except the nights I'm at the condo. Kind of hard to do that from a distance." This was it. This was my opening I'd been looking for. I just hoped it wasn't too soon.

"The distance isn't very conducive, huh?" She hummed. "What if we could change that?" She bit her lip with a twinkle in her eye.

"Did you have something in mind?" My stomach fluttered with a combination of nerves and excitement.

"I was thinking you could move in." She smirked.

"I _do_ like that guest bedroom a lot." I huffed but couldn't maintain a mask of annoyance as elation bubbled inside me.

"With me. I want you to move in with me." She squealed then slapped a hand over her mouth. My smile grew.

"Edward Masen, I thought you'd never ask." My breath rushed from my body as relief filled me. She pushed herself up to plant her lips on mine with enthusiasm.

"You always amaze me." Joy bubbled inside me, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "If I thought you were ready, I'd ask you to marry me right now." She quirked a brow.

"Who says I'm not?"

* * *

**AN 06/28/2019: Oh my gosh, I can't believe this was the last regular chapter of the story. Bella officially started her business! There was a moment of insecurity (which let's be honest, who doesn't have one), but Edward talked her out of it. He's great that way. Oh yeah, and Bella's moving to Bainbridge! Is anyone else as excited as me? Where do you think their life is headed? What's in store next? I know. ;) But I want to hear what you think. **


	31. Chapter 31

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Previously:_

"_With me. I want you to move in with me." She squealed then slapped a hand over her mouth. My smile grew. _

"_Edward Masen, I thought you'd never ask." My breath rushed from my body as relief filled me. She pushed herself up to plant her lips on mine with enthusiasm. _

"_You always amaze me." Joy bubbled inside me, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "If I thought you were ready, I'd ask you to marry me right now." She quirked a brow. _

"_Who says I'm not?"_

* * *

Over the past year, IMC Threat Assessment and Securities had flourished. Within a few months of opening, Bella had to hire three employees to assist with the logistics of the business and one other programmer. Bella had met Jessica while doing an assessment for a local bank. Jessica was their IT person, but Bella quickly realized how underutilized she was. Three weeks after that project was completed, Jessica was starting her first day as IMC's newest software programmer. She and Bella worked seamlessly together and were becoming close friends as well. She was the first person outside my family that Bella had pursued a friendship with.

When Bella had to hire a third programmer three months after that, I finally convinced her she needed an actual office space. I didn't even try to be diplomatic about it when we looked at different locations. I wanted her close, so I recommended the suite for lease three floors below my office. While the other spaces were fine, I made sure to point out every flaw I could find, some of which I'd made up. She called me out on it every time with a laugh. Eventually, I wore her down and she signed a contract to lease the space. I was going to buy it, but she threatened to make me regret it saying she wanted to do this without any unnecessary assistance. Within the next year, I anticipated her company would have enough funds to purchase it outright.

Looking at the clock, I realized the afternoon had gotten away from me. It was 5:00pm. The last time I'd looked at the clock, it was 3:00pm. I needed to get a move on so we could stay on schedule. I picked up the phone to call Bella to see if she was ready to head home. The call rolled over to voicemail, and I sighed. When she didn't answer for the third time, it made me anxious. Over the last year, Bella had grown by leaps and bounds. Knowing the organization was dismantled and having the assurance that those monsters were behind bars or even better, dead, boosted her confidence and comfort to be out in the world. Even though it made her more comfortable, and me as well to an extent, it didn't change that I worried about her. Before getting worked up, I wrapped up my work and decided to head down to see her.

When I reached her office, I found Heidi, Bella's assistant, gathering her things from the desk so she could leave for the day. She greeted me with a smile and explained that Bella hadn't left her office for most of the day. I sighed and nodded wishing her a good afternoon then walked towards where I was sure to find Bella hard at work.

I stopped in the doorway and leaned against it to just watch her. My heart was finally able to settle down at the sight of her safe and sound. It didn't matter that she was safer now than she'd ever been since her return. I still worried about her and probably would until the day I died. Now that I could see with my own two eyes that she was okay, I couldn't keep a smile from my face. She was in her element.

From her cute little nose to messy hair bun secured on the top of her head with a pencil, I could see her over the top of the middle of the three monitors on her desk. Her ever-present notepad sat to the right of her mouse with two pens, a pencil, and three highlighters tacked on top. Those glasses I insisted she wear also sat atop her head as she squinted at the screen. With as many hours a day that she stared at the screen, she needed those blue light glasses for protection. I guess I should take my wins where I could get them though. At least they were on her person. Baby steps.

I watched as she focused intently on whatever project had her attention at the moment then chuckled silently as she reached to her left to grab a few Goldfish and pop them into her mouth. She was addicted to those snacks.

"Hey, Bug," I greeted quietly. My greeting startled her from her focus. She let out a yelp and looked up sharply causing the glasses to fall down onto the bridge of her nose and a few pieces of hair to fall from their hold.

"Edward!" she exclaimed as she clutched at her chest. "You scared the begeebees out of me." I moved to the side of her chair where she sat with her legs curled under her. She was adorable and beautiful all at the same time. After swinging her chair around to face me, I leaned down to kiss her long and slow.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hi." Then she swatted my arm. "Don't do that. You're distracting me when you should be in trouble." I didn't deny it, but I leaned forward to kiss her again. She melted into me threading her hands into my hair and deepening the kiss. I finally broke away from her when my back began to ache from the odd angle. "Now, _that _is a way to say hello."

"I'll say hello that way every time if it makes you happy." She giggled. "Now, may I take you home, Miss Swan? It's been quite a day, and I would like nothing more than to take you to dinner at Lola."

"Home?" Confusion colored her face as she looked at the clock on her computer. "What in the world? How did that happen?"

"How long have you been at it this time?" She looked at me sheepishly. "Bella, how long?"

"I swear I had every intention to take a lunch break."

"Honey, that's not good. You've got to take breaks. Your eyes, body, and your mind need to rest every now and then. You promised me you'd take care of yourself."

"I know! I meant to!" She untangled her legs and stood with a groan. I could tell her body was sore from disuse. "I promise; I didn't do it on purpose."

"I never said you did, but we've got to figure out something." She stretched onto her tip toes, and I cringed as I heard at least three distinct pops. "I worry about you."

"You worry all the time."

"Because you give me reason to." She wouldn't meet my eyes as she purposely focused on shutting down her computer. She turned back and opened her mouth, but I cut her off before she could speak knowing exactly what she was going to say. "I was standing here long enough to know the glasses were not on your face." She smiled knowing she'd been caught.

"I love you." I sighed. She knew exactly what she was doing. Those words melted me.

"I love you too." She reached up to wrap her arms around my neck, and I held her waist to pull her close.

"I really do love you. And I love that you care about me and want to take care of me. I will try harder to take care of myself. Maybe I need to set some alarms on my phone to go off regularly so I can get up and move around."

"That would work if you weren't able to tune out the sound of your phone." I raised one brow to see if she'd get the hint. She gasped.

"You called me; didn't you?" I nodded and held up three fingers. "Three times?" I nodded. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." Her apology was sincere.

"I know."

"But Edward, we don't have time to get to Bainbridge and back to make dinner at a decent hour."

"We'll go to the condo and grab something to wear there." I'd already had Alice drop off the dress. She and Bella had gone shopping last week for a new cocktail dress. I'd sent Alice on a mission with my credit card in hand. Bella had fawned over a dress at the store but refused to buy it, which was fine. I had an accomplice.

"Okay." She wrapped her arm around my waist and turned me to the door. "You're lucky I got my nails done yesterday." I laughed, but she didn't know I was laughing at my secret. I'd had Alice take her for a reason.

"Lucky timing." She nodded with a heavy sigh as she popped her neck causing me the cringe.

On the way to the condo, she filled me in on her latest project for a large tech company based in Seattle and how this was the largest project she'd taken on to date. She was made for greatness, and I was lucky enough to be here for the onset of it. She asked about our latest acquisition, and I told her about my concerns with taking on the new company. She told me not to do it, and I looked at her stunned.

"You are here, because you're brilliant. Don't discount your concerns." I pulled her hand to my lips overwhelmed at her faith in me.

When we arrived at the condo, Bella disappeared into the bathroom, and I heard the shower turn on within seconds. I offered to join her to wash her back but she pushed me out of the bathroom with a laugh insisting we'd never make dinner if we shared the shower. She was probably right. Once she was done, I stepped in after her while she sat at the vanity applying makeup. It was rare that she wore the stuff, so it didn't take long for her to finish. By the time I was done showering and dressing, she was stepping into the closet to find something to wear. Knowing what she'd find, I stepped inside to see her reaction.

"How?" she said quietly as she reached for and ran her fingers over the silky green material. She turned to look at me accusingly. "What did you do?" I laughed.

"Why are you accusing _me_?" I asked with what I hoped was an innocent tone, but it failed when I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I stepped forward and pecked her lips quickly. "Don't ask questions. Just wear the dress." She bit her lip and smiled at me.

"Do you know why I like it?" I shook my head. "It reminds me of the dress I wore to our first dinner at Bainbridge." My smile widened, and I ran my thumb over her rosy cheek.

"You were beautiful then, and you're even more beautiful now."

"Thank you." I dropped my hand to pull the dress from the hanger and held it towards her. She smirked before dropping the robe so she stood in the most sinful purple corset that pushed her breasts high. She wore pair of black lace underwear that I hoped was a thong. The part that killed me were the thigh-high stockings held in place by garters. She held her arms up in challenge, so I slipped the dress over her head gently proving I could control myself. If I didn't have bigger plans for tonight, I wouldn't have been able to resist her.

"Perfection." She slipped into a pair of black heels that only gave her a few extra inches, but I wasn't complaining. I loved how the top of her head came just to chin height for me.

"Lead the way, Mr. Masen."

Phillip greeted us at the car and complimented Bella telling her how she looked beautiful. If it had been any other man, I probably would have taken a slight offense. It was Phillip though. He was happily married to Josie, had been for ten years. He just had a soft spot for Bella. I held Bella's hand to help her inside and slid in beside her where a bottle of champagne was sitting on ice and two chilled glasses beside it.

"Edward!" I ignored her exclamation as I popped the cork and poured our drinks. "What are you up to?"

"Can't I just show my girl a good night?" I hoped I wasn't giving anything away.

"You show me a good night often." She leaned against me to whisper the rest. "Many nights you don't even have to let me out of bed to do so." I cleared my throat. _Focus, Edward. Stay on track._

"That may be, but tonight I wanted to take you out. We don't do this very often."

"True." She took my proffered glass and turned to face me as much as she could. "To what are we toasting?"

"To us." She smiled tenderly.

"To us." She clinked her glass to mine and took a sip before she closed her eyes and hummed.

The private room at Lola's was decorated impeccably. Tom had outdone himself with the crisp white linens, pink lilies, and lights turned down low. Bella cooed over the setting and looked at me suspiciously for a short moment then was distracted as Tom entered the room to say hello. He assured us we would have a wonderful evening as he was introducing his new menu tonight. As usual, he didn't bring us a menu. He knew our likes and dislikes and would serve us what he deemed were the best dishes.

Throughout the meal, Bella and I discussed our upcoming vacation to Aspen. I owned a home there that I used to generate rental income and every so often, I used it to vacation myself. Bella had been talking about wanting to learn to snowboard, so I'd hired a private instructor that would teach us the first two or three days we were there. We would spend the next six days on our own exploring the slopes and the town. I'm sure we would spend quite a bit of time at the house as well if tonight went as I suspected it would.

After our plates were cleared from the table, Bella leaned back and groaned dramatically as she rubbed her stomach. She complained about being full only until I suggested we skip dessert so she wouldn't be miserable. Her tune changed quickly, and she told me there was always room for dessert. We didn't have to wait long before Tom himself brought out the cake. Bella had fallen in love with his Death by Chocolate Cake he'd served us a few weeks before. I'd had to come get it for her twice already on my way home. Tom turned to wink at me where Bella couldn't see before scurrying from the room. I cleared my throat as I watched her take the first bite and suck on the fork with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and winked at me with a smirk.

"You are a dangerous woman," I said and pointed my fork at her. She looked at me innocently, speared another piece of cake, and held it out to me. I took the proffered treat and had to agree with her about how wonderful it was.

"So, what is going on, Edward Masen?" We had finished the cake, and Bella had moved her chair to sit beside me as opposed to across from me. Her hand was resting on my thigh, and her slow strokes were driving me crazy. I needed to focus though. I wasn't so much nervous as I was anxious. I was 99% sure how this was going to play out, so that helped.

"Maybe I do have ulterior motives for tonight," I conceded, and she nodded. "I was thinking about our vacation this weekend."

"I'm so excited, by the way. We leave in two days, and it can't get here soon enough. I'm glad we'll be back before Christmas though. I'm excited for Dad and Sue to come down to visit." We were celebrating the holiday at Bainbridge in two weeks, and Charlie was very excited about spending time in the guest cottage. "Do you think Dad will be okay with the gift?" I smirked.

"He'll be resistant at first, not want you to spend that kind of money. Eventually, though, he'll love it." She took a deep breath and held it before I released it in a rush.

"I guess." She shook her head before kissing me quickly. "I'm sorry. I interrupted you. Please continue."

"There was something I thought we could do while there but only if you're interested."

"I'll do anything with you. You know that." Overwhelmed by her quick honesty, I couldn't stop from kissing her. My love for her filled me, and when she kissed me back with just as much passion, I let myself get carried away. I wanted to feel her against me and moved my hand to her thigh. Slowly, I stroked small circles over her delicate skin and moved my hand higher with each rotation. She chuckled and stopped my ascent when I was inches from touching where I wanted to. "We can't here." I rested my forehead to hers and fought to get my erratic breathing under control.

"I'm-"

"Not going to apologize. Never with me." She extricated my hand from her dress and laid it gently on my own thigh with a pat. "I distracted you again. Please, go on." _What? _It took me a moment to get back on track.

"Yes. Okay." She giggled.

"So, you thought we could do something? What did you have in mind?"

"Photos." She looked at me strangely.

"Photos. You want to learn about photography?" I smiled and shook my head.

"No. I think we should have pictures taken. Of us." She cocked her head to the side.

"Well, I guess we don't really have any photos of us, huh? Professional, I mean. That could be fun." I smiled as I took the box from my pocket, opened it, and held it out to her. She gasped and covered her mouth.

"Engagement photos. I think we should do engagement photos." I watched as she smiled widely and tears gathered in her eyes. "I love you, Bella. You are my sun, my moon, my reason for waking and sleeping. I can't imagine my life, not even a single day, without you. With you by my side, we can do anything, conquer anything. I don't care what this life has in store for me as long as you're by my side. You are the reason I live and breathe. You are my everything, and I want you to be my everything for every day of my life. Isabella Swan…Bug….will you marry me?" She nodded frantically and launched herself onto my lap and into my arms.

"Yes." Her whispered answer against my lips reverberated through me. I took a deep breath to keep myself from crying and pressed my lips to hers in a reverent kiss. She pulled back and held up her left hand. "Ring me, fiancé." I smiled so widely I thought my smile would split my face. She had truly made me the happiest man alive. I took the ring from the box and slide it onto her finger.

"Perfect." I looked at her beautiful face. "Just like you." She rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her face. She kissed me again then turned to hold her hand out and admire the ring.

"You're stuck with me now, mister." I wrapped my arms around her pulling her closer as her legs rested on either side of me. "Are you sure you're ready for all my craziness."

"You're not crazy."

"You say that now, but wait until The Ranch is open." I turned her face so she was looking at me and could see the sincerity.

"You are such a remarkable woman, and The Ranch is just more proof of that." She smiled at me tenderly.

"You make me believe that."

"Good. You need to accept that fact." She rested her head on my shoulder and we sat there holding each other for a few moments before she pulled back just enough to look at me with a glint in her eye.

"Now can we go home and celebrate there?" I stood abruptly and caught her before she could fall. She laughed at my antics as I pulled her out of the dining room and rushed her to the car. I'd thank Tom another time; he'd understand. Phillip held the door for us and fought to suppress his smile when Bella reached from within to grab my tie and pull me inside. When he settled into the driver's seat, Bella straddled my lap and spoke to Phillip without taking her eyes off me. "Could you close the partition tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said politely. "To Bainbridge?"

"Yes. Home, Phillip." She kissed me quickly. "And take your time."

* * *

** 06/30/2019: PLEASE READ**

**Squeee! Our couple is so helplessly in love. Their business lives are going well too! What would Bella have bought her dad that he'll not be happy about the amount of money she spent? Plus it sounds like Bella's got some new ideas she's working on. Good grief these two are just starting to live life. Just when it's getting good and happy, we leave our favorite couple...or do we? ;)**

**I can't thank everyone here that I appreciate. I'm bound to leave a name off by accident, so I'll just say thank you to everyone. I have some of the most loyal, amazing readers and reviewers out there. You all make this experience of writing/posting even more rewarding than it already is. **

**As I've hinted and teased and flat out confessed to some of you, I am not done with these two. I've got one more story in mind. Forewarning - not a word of it is written. I know what I have in mind, but nothing is on paper so I have absolutely no estimate of when you can expect to see it out. Put me on author alert so you're sure to be notified. When it does post, I'll also add a chapter to this story to let you know so placing the story or alert/favorite will keep you informed too. **

**Let me know what you'd like to see from these two (other than babies as you all have said - ha!), and it may end up in the third installment. I already have a couple of ideas from my amazing reviewers that will be worked into the third. **


	32. Outtake - Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"You're going to be nice," she said with a pleading tone from the backseat, and I worked to hide my smirk. "Right, Dad?"

"I'll be on my best behavior," I told her honestly. Well, mostly honestly.

"Dad!"

"Charlie," Sue scolded from the passenger seat and slapped my hand lightly making me chuckle. "Be good."

"Trust me. I'll treat the boy just fine, Bella." I watched through the rearview mirror as she huffed and sat back with her arms crossed over her chest. The action made me smile, and I had another overwhelming moment of appreciation to have her back. My baby girl was back.

I'd gone years thinking this would never happen. When my old buddy Bob had called me that day, I was happy to hear from him. When he'd moved to Seattle to join their force when we were young, we'd lost touch for a while. Then he moved around before settling in Portland as their Chief a few years before. It made me feel good knowing he was so close to my daughter in case I ever needed him to check in on her. I'd greeted him enthusiastically, but I could tell by his tone that something wasn't right. _I'm sorry, Charlie. I'm so sorry to have to do this._ I'd demanded answers not knowing how my world was about to implode. _It's Bella. She…she's missing. _I'd spent the next three years searching, wondering what was happening to my daughter, if she was even alive. She was here now though, alive and relatively well. I was so grateful to have her back.

"What does Edward have planned for tonight?" Sue turned to ask Bella pulling me from my thoughts.

"Dinner," Bella said with a smile. "I don't have any details, but knowing Edward, it'll be something special. He's really thoughtful that way." I glanced over to see Sum smiling at me lovingly. I had suspected for a while that Edward felt more for my daughter than just friendship, and this just confirmed that the feeling was mutual. "It's the next driveway on the right." I slowed and turned into the driveway, but a large imposing gate blocked my way. "Pull up to the intercom." Bella unbuckled her seatbelt and slid to the door to roll the window down. Once I came to a stop, she leaned out the window and pressed the button.

"Hello," Edward's voice came through the intercom. "Can I help you?"

"It's us," Bella said excitedly. "We're a little early. I hope that's okay."

"Always." The gates began to open. "Come on inside. I'm in the office and just need to wrap up what I'm working on."

I drove forward once the call disconnected and parked in front of the two-car garage. Bella got out of the car and pulled Sue's door open before I was even out. She took Sue's hand and pulled her to the house leaving me to trail behind them. When I reached the door, they were already inside. I hung up my coat and stepped further into the house to admire the place. The rather massive place.

"You'll have to see the house from the water. It's beautiful," Bella said. "There are so many windows, and it lets in a lot of natural light. I think we don't even have to turn on the lights that often." _We._

"Hello, Charlie." Edward's greeting drew my attention from the surroundings. I reached forward to shake his hand.

"Thanks for having us, Edward," I told him sincerely. He could have asked Bella for her time, but instead, he'd included Sue and I. I know it was Valentine's Day, but I wanted to see my baby girl. And if I were honest, I kind of wanted to see how Edward felt about my daughter. This was a good way to discover that.

When I dropped his hand, Sue stepped forward to kiss his cheek, and I scowled at the action. She smirked and winked when she caught my eye making me smile. She was such a tease. When she cut her eyes towards Edward, I turned to see what she was drawing my attention to. My heart stuttered at the look on the boy's face. He was looking at my daughter, at my little girl, as if the entire world revolved around her. There was my answer. This was it for him. She was it for him. I didn't exactly know how to feel about that.

"Bella," he breathed, and I felt Sue wrap her hand around mine and squeeze as she sighed. "You look stunning." Bella blushed, and I smiled at the sight. She got that curse from me.

"Thank you," she said as she stepped forward to hug him. "You look quite handsome yourself." They lingered in the hug a bit longer than I was ready to see, so I cleared my throat discreetly. Sue elbowed my side though, so I guess I wasn't that subtle. _Good. _

"I'm so glad you all could make it. I hope you don't mind spending Valentine's here. I know you'd probably rather be spending it alone."

"Nonsense," Sue assured them. I was torn. I wanted to spend time with Sue, but I wanted to see my baby girl too. "We're happy to be spending time with Bella, and you, of course."

"Nice place you have here," I said, trying to change the subject.

"Bella, why don't you show them around while I check on dinner?" I raised my brow at that, but they weren't looking so they didn't see.

"Is Mrs. Spencer cooking?" Bella asked excitedly.

"Not tonight. I have a surprise for you." Bella's smile was wide, and it made my heart happy to see.

"Come on Sue, Dad. I'll show you around." Edward excused himself and disappeared around a corner. "Let's go to the basement and work our way up."

"How many stories is this place?" I asked in astonishment.

"Three if you count the basement. Come on." She led us down the stairs excitedly to show us a home gym, bathroom, and living space.

"It's nice," I acquiesced reluctantly, not wanting to admit I was already impressed. Bella rolled her eyes and pulled us back upstairs.

"This is a formal living room, but we don't spend much time here. There's a living room off the kitchen that has a great view of The Sound so it gets more traffic." Sue ooh-ed and ahhh-ed at all the right places, but I just watched Bella walk around this place with ease. When we were walking up the stairs, I asked her about it. "You spend a lot of time here?"

"I love it here." That wasn't exactly an answer. I knew a dodge when I saw one. "The water is so peaceful, and I like that it's on an island. Makes me feel safe." I hated that she even had to have the thought about her safety. As well as she was doing with everything, she would never be the daughter I used to know. I frowned at the thought. "Here's Edward's room. You have to see this bathroom. Sue, it's to die for." I wasn't completely comfortable with this, the thought of her here. She was my little girl. My little girl didn't know boy's bedrooms. Sue followed her eagerly, and I trailed behind a little slower.

"Oh wow!" Sue exclaimed when she stepped inside the bathroom. "Charlie, come look at this." I stepped inside and was shocked at the size of the room. It could be someone's bedroom. "Look at this shower. And this bathtub!" She ran her hand over the large tub making my mind take a turn I shouldn't be thinking about with my daughter in the same room. Boy, did I have plans for her tonight once we got to the hotel.

"It's alright." Sue scoffed and linked her arm through Bella's.

"Show me more. Your dad's being a fuddy-duddy." I followed them out of the room and Bella showed us two other bedrooms she said were unused at the moment. "Lots of bedrooms here."

"You have to see the office, then I'll show you my favorite bedroom." Edward's office was nice, very clean. The whole house was very clean, but the guy couldn't spend time in every room. This place was so large. "This is the guest room." She led us into a room with a balcony overlooking the water. "If I happen to miss the ferry, I stay here. It has the most beautiful view of The Sound." Hearing that, that she stayed in this room, eased my mind a bit. I trusted Edward, but it was nice to have confirmation that he wasn't taking advantage of my daughter. Movement caught my eye, and I watched as Edward stopped in the doorway and just watched Bella with a smile on his face.

"This is a mighty big place for just you," I said, pulling his attention to me.

"It is," he said. "I'm thinking longer term with this home. It's large enough for another two, maybe three people." Comments like that were telling about how different his life was, is. "When I was searching for a place, I bought with the thought of a wife and one or two children. I want a family eventually, so why not be ready for that from the beginning." My surprise was evident, I'm sure. How many people his age thought that way? His eyes darted to Bella before they were back on mine. "Whomever I'm lucky enough to marry, well, I hope they enjoy it. If she wants a large family, we'll start here then find a more suitable home." Sue sighed and grabbed my arm. I had to clear my throat not really sure how to response. He was in deep, and I hope Bella understood how he felt.

"Well, that just leaves the kitchen, I guess," Sue said excitedly. I was thankful for her in that moment. I didn't know what to say.

"And the cottage," Bella exclaimed. "They need to see the cottage too." Cottage? There were more houses on the property?

"Then let's grab our coats; we'll need them for dinner."

"I'm not eating outside in this weather," I whispered to Sue who scolded me.

Sue was in love with the kitchen and dining area. She spent five minutes walking around running her hands over everything. I watched as she and Bella giggled together over some of the appliances while I talked to Edward. I loved seeing Sue and Bella getting along. I wanted Sue to be my wife, so I was happy to see them hit it off.

"Do you think she can handle a day trip?" I asked Edward. He had been spending so much time with Bella, that he probably could gauge her better than me at this point.

"I think that would be a great start," he said. "I think she tried too much at one time. Easing her into it would be a good idea. I'll drive us up, we can spend the day, and then I'll drive us home that night." Our conversation halted when Bella walked over and wrapped her hand around Edward's arm. His face lit up, and he turned to give her his full attention.

"Can we show him the cottage?" she asked.

"Of course." He took her coat and helped her into it. Seeing that was bittersweet. I wanted to keep her little forever, to be the only guy she'd need. But I also wanted her happy and if she had to be with someone, I wanted someone that would treat her right. Edward was obviously doing that. "Come on this way." Just off the patio was what Bella had referred to as a cottage.

"Niiice," I said as we walked through the doors. Bella beamed. The place was set up to be a perfect mancave if it had the right décor. "Now, this is a place worth spending time in." I sat on the couch to test out the comfort. It was nice. I was surprised there was no television in the room though and said so. Edward reached for a remote and pressed a button. The painting above the fireplace raised to reveal a television behind it. "Sue, we should be visiting more often." She rolled her eyes at me, but smiled nonetheless. "The game would look great on that television."

"Actually, the Mariners' season opener is next week," Edward said. He was speaking my language. Maybe I could come down one weekend to watch and spend some more time with Bella.

"That would be nice. I'll bring drinks. It's the least I can do if you're going to invite me to this man cave."

"Actually, I meant watch it from the company box." _Wait. What? Box?_

"At the field?" Bella snorted, but I had to clarify. "You mean _go_ to the game?" Edward nodded, and my excitement got the best of me. "Hell yeah!" Sue and Bella both scolded me for my language, but I didn't care. I was going to the opener. In a box.

"Good. It's scheduled to start at 12:10pm. Why don't we meet here at 11:00? I'll have the car pick us up by 11:15. That should give us enough time to get there and grab a bite to eat before first pitch." I was nodding my agreement. I'd be here whatever time he wanted.

"That's enough male bonding," Bella said, but I could tell she was amused. "It's Valentine's Day. What is this surprise you have planned?" I tuned in, because I was interested too. What did this man have planned for the girl he was in love with along with her dad and dad's girlfriend?

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**AN 07/21/2019: Hello lovelies! You guys were amazing and voted this story as #4 in the Top 10 Completed Fics in June at Twifanfictionrecs! Thank y'all for the support of this story. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into Charlie's head. Let me know what you think. **


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